Clifford’s decision to ‘turn to Andrew Tate’ was no coincidence, court told

The decision of triple crossbow and knife killer Kyle Clifford to “turn to Andrew Tate” the night before he murdered three people was “no coincidence”, a court heard.

A court previously heard the murders of Louise, Hannah and Carol Hunt were fuelled by the “violent misogyny promoted” by Tate, after it emerged that Clifford searched for the controversial social media influencer’s podcast less than 24 hours before the attacks.

Cambridge Crown Court was told Clifford had been seen by a friend of Louise viewing a Tate video “which showed animals who had been drugged”, which the killer found “funny”.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC told Clifford’s sentencing hearing on Tuesday: “Andrew Tate can properly be described as a poster boy for misogynists, a poster boy for those who view women as possession to be controlled.

“In that context, and in light of all the other background material, it is no coincidence, the prosecution submit, that it was Andrew Tate that the defendant turned to the night before he would go off to commit these acts of violence against women.”

Ms Morgan previously said the podcast Clifford was searching was “misogynistic”, adding: “Trying to control Louise Hunt in the context of a final act of spite. You can see how the mind was working.”

Tate, and his brother Tristan Tate, are facing criminal proceedings in both Romania and the UK on charges such as human trafficking and rape, which both men “unequivocally deny”, while a criminal investigation has recently been launched into them in Florida, in the US.

Four alleged victims of Tate, who are taking legal action against him in the UK’s High Court, previously called on social media companies to ban him from their platforms in response to the prosecution’s case against Clifford.