Kyle Clifford trial latest: Crossbow killer 'looked at athletic males on ex-girlfriend's Instagram' during triple murder

Court resumes

The jury is back in court after the lunch break.

Lunch break

The trial will continue at 1.45pm when defence barrister Phil Bradley will give his closing speech. 

The judge says he expects the jury to start deliberating around an hour later. 

'Overlap between violence and sexual thoughts' in attack planning

Prosecutor Alison Morgan tells jurors Kyle Clifford's attack was motivated by "anger and spite" at feeling rejected by Louise Hunt, who he had been deceiving with relationships with other women.

She broke up with him 13 days before the murders. 

"If he wanted Louise, he would have her, rape her and murder her and members of her family," says Ms Morgan.

She highlights him buying duct tape as indicating he was planning an act involving her restraint.

"If he could not have her, no one else was going to, and he was going to take her family down with her," the prosecutor says.

She says his planning involved "sexual violence as a means of acting out in spite in a final act before Louise's death".

Ms Morgan says there was an "overlap between violence and sexual thoughts", demonstrated by him searching for a crossbow, before looking at pornography.

This was the "marrying up of thoughts of extreme violence with sexual desire and fulfilment," she says. 

Ms Morgan says Clifford "brutally murdered" Louise's mother Carol within two minutes of blagging his way inside the home, then laid in wait for an hour "to do something altogether different".

Louise was "rapidly detained and silenced," says the prosecutor, asking why Clifford needed to restrain her, and why he held her for an hour and a half before killing her.

She dismisses Clifford's explanation of the scientific evidence as "completely untenable".

Alleged rape sits within 'extreme violence' against Hunt family

Prosecutor Alison Morgan is delivering her closing speech to the jury. 

She tells the jury they "have had to listen to some very traumatic details" to understand the events on 9 July last year, what Kyle Clifford did and why.

She says the allegation of rape sits within acts of "extreme violence" perpetrated against the Hunt family. 

But she tells the jury to judge the evidence clinically and dispassionately to reach a verdict on whether Clifford is guilty of rape.

Ms Morgan says a "cool, calm, view of the evidence" will convince them "beyond any conceivable doubt" that the answer must be yes.

Clifford claims the forensic evidence is explained by a consensual sexual encounter 16 days before the murders and expects his barrister to ask why he would deny the charge when he has admitted other serious offences.

But the prosecutor says the submissions will be made on behalf of a man who has chosen not to give evidence or an account of what happened himself.

She is going through the questions she would've asked him, including: "What did you do to Louise Hunt for the hour and a half before you murdered her?"

Ms Morgan gives five key reasons why they should find Clifford guilty - the implausibility of sex taking place on 23 June, the planned attack which must have included rape, what happened inside the address, the forensic evidence and the evidence from a scientist.

Court resumes

The jury is back in court for the prosecution closing speech. 

Court break

The jury has been sent out for a short break, with the trial expected to resume with the prosecution and defence closing speeches from around 12.05pm.

Jury told it would be 'utterly wrong' to assume guilt

The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, is now giving jurors legal directions, telling them the prosecution has to make them "sure" Kyle Clifford raped Louise Hunt. 

He says they've now heard all the evidence and that they shouldn't speculate.

The judge says it would be "utterly wrong" for them to assume his guilt just because he has already pleaded guilty to three murder charges. 

He tells the jury that, apart from his failure to give evidence, they should forget about him not attending the trial and not hold his absence against him.

Mr Justice Bennathan tells the seven women and five men they must reach a unanimous verdict, adding they are under no time pressure.

Triple killer not giving evidence in rape trial

Kyle Clifford, 26, will not give evidence in his defence at his trial for raping his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25.

He has chosen not to attend his trial at Cambridge Crown Court so the confirmation by his barrister Phil Bradley KC isn't unexpected.

He says he's advised his client that if he chooses not to give evidence the jury may draw whatever inferences they feel is proper.

Mr Bradley says he is not calling any other evidence in Clifford's defence.

Victims found lying on their backs

The court hears that when police arrived on the scene, blankets were found around the bodies of Carol Hunt and her daughter Louise in the snug room of the family home.

All of the deceased were found lying on their backs, while Louise had her wrists and ankles bound. 

A small piece of duct tape was found on a side table in the living room - prosecutors earlier suggested this had been used as a gag.

Jurors are shown graphics of the scene and photographs taken days after the murders.

They are also taken to body graphics detailing the victims' injuries. 

Carol Hunt suffered at least four, but more likely five stab wounds, including three to the back. 

She also had a defensive injury to her left hand and other injuries consistent with her defending herself, the court hears.

Louise Hunt was hit with a crossbow bolt to the chest from behind. 

Her sister Hannah Hunt was also killed with a crossbow bolt to the chest, but she was hit from the front.

Killer used ex-girlfriend's phone to look at athletic males on Instagram

The agreed facts are continuing and we're hearing about a schedule of messages between Louise Hunt and Kyle Clifford, which jurors have in a schedule.

It is agreed the crossbow he bought online was used to kill Louise and her sister Hannah, and later shoot himself before his arrest.

We're on to events on the day of the murder, 9 July last year, when BBC racing commentator John Hunt went to work by train.

Louise was working at her dog grooming business in the garden of the family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, while her sister Louise was working locally as a beautician. 

Carol Hunt was at home and was doing washing when her nephew visited at around lunchtime.

The court also hears Clifford is said to have launched Instagram on Louise's phone, looking at athletic male pictures, as well as using Safari and WhatsApp.

This is said to have happened while he held Louise in the house before he killed her.

Hannah Hunt was found in the doorway struggling for life, while her mother and sister were dead when emergency services arrived.

Friends and family 'concerned' about relationship

The first evidence is a set of agreed facts to be read out by the prosecution. 

This is undisputed evidence in the case given to the jury in writing and read into the record in court.

It begins with the ages of the victims Louise Hunt, 25, Carol Hunt, 61, and Hannah Hunt, 28.

The court hears Carol's husband and Louise and Hannah's father, the BBC racing commentator John Hunt, has one surviving daughter Amy.

Kyle Clifford, 26, lived with his parents and brother at the family home in Enfield, north London.

He was in a relationship with Louise for around 18 months after they met on a dating website.

Friends and family were "concerned" about the relationship, with Louise telling friends Clifford had behaved in an "aggressive manner towards others", the court hears.

He had relationships with two other women he worked with, which he hid from Louise.

Clifford and Louise broke up two weeks before the murders after they returned from a wedding.

-SKY NEWS