London — A 26-year-old man was found guilty Wednesday of murdering a mother and her two daughters at their family home north of London last year. an attack involving a crossbow and a knife. Kyle Clifford killed his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, 25, and her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, with a crossbow before stabbing their mother, Carol Hunt, 61, to death on July 9, prosecutors said.

Appearing in court in Cambridge via video, Clifford admitted three counts of murder, one count of false imprisonment and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon, including a crossbow and a 10-inch knife.He pleaded not guilty to the charge of raping Louise Hunt.

The three women, the family of popular BBC radio racing commentator John Hunt, were found critically injured at their home in the quiet residential area of ​​Bushey, north-east of the capital.

Police and ambulance crews tried to save three women, but they were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police began searching for the suspect until he was found injured in a cemetery in Enfield, north London.

Clifford, who has served in the army for about three years since 2019, shot himself in the chest with a crossbow.

The brutal killings have reignited the debate over crossbow ownership laws in Britain, after the attacks, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said he was thinking quickly Are tougher crossbow laws needed, but no proposals yet?

In the UK, people do not need a license to own a crossbow, but it is illegal to carry one in public without reasonable excuse and it is illegal to sell one to or under 18 years of age.

The guns have been used in several high-profile crimes in recent years.

In December 2021, a would-be attacker carrying a loaded crossbow stormed Windsor Castle seeks to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. Jaswant Singh Chail pleaded guilty to treason and was sentenced to nine years in prison last year.