Kyle Clifford, who was found guilty of raping his ex-partner before murdering her alongside her mother and sister, watched videos by the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate shortly before committing his crimes, it emerged on Thursday.
The jury found Kyle Clifford guilty of rape, adding to his previous admissions of murder, but were not aware that the triple murderer had watched up to 10 videos of Tate’s in the lead-up to the attack.
After the verdict was announced, four of Tate’s UK victims repeated calls on social media calling for the controversial influencer to be banned from all social media platforms.
Clifford is alleged to have become “angry” when his 25-year-old former partner Louise Hunt ended their 18-month relationship, and consequently “carefully” planned the murders that happened on July 9.
Alison Morgan KC, for the prosecution, suggested a link between the search for Tate’s podcast and the murders.
“Trying to control Louise Hunt in the context of a final act of spite. You can see how the mind was working.”
But the evidence was not heard by the jury because the Judge ruled it was “deeply prejudicial” for the jury to hear the evidence because the influencer was “almost a poster boy for misogynists”.
Mr Justice Bennathan told the court: “It may well be that one who takes a close interest in Tate, other than law enforcement officials, could be seen as a misogynist.”
Ms Morgan challenged the decision, arguing that the internet searches demonstrated how “the mind was working”.
“It’s how he views women and why sexualised violence is an important part of the attack,” she said.
One reason Louise and her friends turned against Clifford has now come to light, allegedly he showed them an Andrew Tate video depicting an animal being harmed which he found “funny.”
“That’s one of the reasons they indicated a distaste for him,” DCI Nick Gardner from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said at a press briefing.
The victims of Andrew Tate described the case as a “wake-up call” for all the social media companies.
A solicitor representing four British women taking action against Tate in the UK told ITV News the case was a “wake-up call” for all the social media companies.
“Hearing that Kyle Clifford watched videos of Andrew Tate in the lead up to his murders of his ex-girlfriend, her mother and sister, is deeply upsetting to us, but sadly not surprising.
“This should be a wake-up call for all the social media companies who are continuing to platform Tate and his dangerous messages. These companies should take immediate steps to remove Andrew Tate from their platforms, rather than continue to reap enormous profits from his hateful content.
“Clifford’s case should be a warning to world leaders and all those who belittle the seriousness of allowing incitement of violence against women online to fester. Our thoughts are with Hunt family.”
Ms Morgan said that in the days leading up to the attacks, Clifford had searched for pornography, including for a video of former HMP Wandsworth prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, who admitted having sex with a prisoner last year.
Clifford also purchased “weapons and equipment for an attack” immediately after the break-up on June 26 last year. He then proceeded to murder the Hunt family 13 days later.
The prosecutor said the defendant’s violent intentions were shown because it showed “how he views women and why sexualised violence is an important part of the attack”.
Clifford will be sentenced at the same court next Tuesday.
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