Kyle Clifford’s obsession with Andrew Tate videos linked to violent behaviour escalation

Cowardly killer Kyle Clifford had his mind twisted viewing online hate videos including watching self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate. The brute had weeks earlier horrified a group of Louise Hunt’s friends when he showed a video on his phone involving Tate that centred on animals being abused. Clifford is understood to have laughed as he shared the footage and mocked complaints about the video which friends say “sickened” his professional dog-groomer girlfriend.

Police believe Clifford may have binged on mind-twisting videos across social media in the build-up to his deadly knife and crossbow rampage after years of watching vile content. Female army colleagues had branded him “misogynistic” and fellow squaddies were appalled at his regular viewing of extreme online violence.

The Tate video was among a number of misogynistic content discovered by police that was kept from being revealed to the jury at Cambridge Crown Court this week after trial Judge Mr Justice Bennathan deemed them to be “highly prejudicial”.

In his legal ruling the judge said Tate could be viewed as a “poster boy for misogynists” and that jurors knowing he had accessed such content prior to his revenge rape and murder attack would deem it impossible for him to face a fair trial.

The judge also prevented jurors from being told how Clifford attempted to hook up with other women on the Hinged dating app just hours after he was dumped by Louise.

Clifford cheated on Louise towards the end of their relationship with one of his conquests believing she was his girlfriend at the time of his carnage. Louise had been aware of this relationship when she dumped Clifford over his bad behaviour.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gardner of Hertfordshire Police

revealed that friends had told police about how Clifford’s viewing of the Tate video during a social gathering represented the “final nail” in the relationship.

Mr Gardner said: “He was watching an Andrew Tate video, it was something about animals being harmed and he thought that it was funny. There were also some road rage incidents and comments he would make about violence being ok. These were macho comments in which he was boasting to Louise’s friends.

“That was when she decided he’s not the man for me, he’s not the man I thought he was”.

Prior to his rampage Clifford had searched for ways to delete social media accounts for devices but police were still able to recover a number of Tate-style videos that they believed showed his mindset of male violence.

Mr Gardner added: “Policing has done much to tackle male violence against women and girls in recent years, however Clifford’s actions were truly unprecedented.

“Clifford carried out this killing of three innocent women with cold- blooded calculation and cruelty.

“Sadly, the figures show that the majority of murders and serious sexual offences are

perpetrated by people who are known to their victims and who are or have been in

an intimate relationship with them.

“This is the case here, with the murders occurring 13 days after Louise Hunt ended her 18-month relationship with Kyle Clifford on Wednesday 26 June last year.

In the subsequent days, Clifford plotted a meticulously planned attack on Louise and

members of her family.

“To be clear, there was no wrongdoing by Louise. She simply exercised her right to end her relationship with Clifford, as she was no longer happy in it – nothing more.

“Clifford intended to kill Louise and anyone else he needed to in order to achieve that aim. The CCTV evidence shown in court leaves doubt of the level of premeditation and planning undertaken by Clifford.”

The footage showed Clifford calmly selecting his weapons of violence, buying rope, a crossbow, an air pistol, a 10-inch knife used for butchery, duct tape and petrol cans.

Mr Gardner added: “Not all of these items were eventually used by Clifford, but they indicate that this was not a crime of passion, but a carefully planned assault. The air-pistol that Clifford attempted to buy did not arrive, we do not know what more damage he would have inflicted on others had this arrived.

During this period, we found CCTV footage of Clifford going about his daily life. He visited the gym and goes shopping at a garden centre with his family. He remains calm and collected throughout, and his actions are calculated throughout that fateful day as well.”

The officer said whilst it was clear from evidence given by Louise’s friends that in June last year she was no longer happy in her relationship with Clifford, there was nothing to indicate

any kind of violence or abuse.

He added: “No friends reported any serious issues other than a general distaste for Clifford. Some descriptions of Clifford were that he appeared arrogant and rude and some said they were relieved when Louise decided to end their relationship.”

Throughout the course of the investigation, Clifford has not explained his reasons

and motivations for his actions and or acknowledged the great pain and loss he has

inflicted on others.

Police however did discover a series of notes on his phone before the murders in which he clearly knows there were healthy ways of dealing with the break-up, however he chose not to take those paths. He wrote that he simply “didn’t want to” do that.

The detective said: “here was nothing any of his victims could have done to foresee or prevent Clifford’s actions. While sadly many murders occur in a domestic setting or where there has previously been a relationship, there was no history of abuse that we are aware of in this case. Clifford’s behaviour appears to have escalated at an unprecedented rate following the break-up of the relationship.

“Clifford is clearly a dangerous man and a threat to the safety of others. We are committed to tackling violence against women and girls and worked diligently to bring this case to court.”

Andrew Tate, 38, is controversial British-American influencer Andrew Tate who is charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women.

He was put under house arrest in Romania in August 2024 when prosecutors launched a second criminal investigation against himself and his brother Tristan, as well as four other suspects. They all deny wrongdoing.

Separately, the brothers are wanted in the UK to face allegations of sexual assault which they also deny.

The brothers have also been accused of tax evasion in the UK. A British court ruled in December 2024 that police could seize more than £2m ($2.4m) from them for failing to pay tax on £21m in revenue from their online businesses.

Andrew Tate said the ruling was “not justice” and called it a “co-ordinated attack”.

A self-proclaimed “misogynist” Tate first rose to fame after an appearance on reality TV show Big Brother in 2016. He only lasted six days on the programme, before being removed following the emergence of a video that appeared to show him attacking a woman.

He said at the time that the footage had been edited and was “a total lie trying to make me look bad”.

The former kickboxer boasts more than 10 million followers on X, formerly Twitter – predominantly disenfranchised, angry young men.