'Violent misogyny' Killer viewed hours of Tate videos before triple murder

Less than 24 hours before Kyle Clifford committed the triple murder which would leave his ex-girlfriend, Louise Hunt, her sister and mother dead, he searched the internet for misogynistic podcasts.

- Emine Sinmaz

What was not revealed to the jury - who have now found the former soldier guilty of rape, adding to his previous admissions of murder - was that the 26-year-old had listened to the influencer Andrew Tate.

Clifford had watched up to 10 videos of the self-styled misogynist influencer in the period before he assaulted Louise in what the prosecution described as a "final act of spite".

Incandescent with rage that she had ended their 18-month relationship, Clifford began plotting an attack on the Hunt family by researching and buying weapons while watching pornography, including a video of a prison officer having sex with an inmate.

Prosecutors argued "the sort of violent misogyny promoted by Tate is the same type of motivation that ... fuelled both the murders and the rape", the four-day trial heard.

But the judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, ruled the jury could not hear evidence on the killer's interest in Tate, saying it was "deeply prejudicial" to his rape trial as the influencer was "almost a poster boy for misogynists".

He told the court: "It may well be that one who takes a close interest in Tate ... could be seen as a misogynist." But he conceded he could see the "potential relevance" of the material.

Clifford was found guilty yesterday of raping Louise before murdering her with a crossbow. He admitted the murders of Louise, her sister, Hannah, 28, and their mother, Carol, 61, at an earlier hearing, but denied rape.