Racing commentator John Hunt has issued a poignant message a he returned to work two months after his wife and two daughters were killed in a crossbow and knife attack.
Carol Hunt and daughters Hannah, 28, and Louise, 25, were killed in the horrific attack at their family home in Bushey, Hertfordshire, on July 9.
Mr Hunt, a beloved and widely revered BBC 5Live racing commentator, returned to work at Brighton Racecourse on Monday.
In a statement seen by LBC, he told how his “knees buckled” at one point as he recalled a weekend he spent in Brighton with Carol shortly before she was killed, but said he feels she and his daughters “are with me at all times”.
“Carol and I had our last weekend away together in Brighton at the end of May and, looking out from the press box, out to sea, my knees buckled recalling us on the wild rapids ride on the pier just over three months ago,” he said on Monday.
“Soaked to the skin and laughing like teenagers.
“But I know the girls are with me at all times and would have been gently encouraging me to take a breath or two, and stride on."
He continued: “The warmth from everyone at the track was so striking with hugs and kindness washing over me all day. My thanks to everyone who has contacted me, to Racetech who made things so straightforward, and all racegoers who said hello.
"Amy [Mr Hunt’s surviving daughter] and I are determined to take small steps forward whenever we feel able. To that end, today was a good day and I’m grateful for it.”
Members of the racing community warmly welcomed Mr Hunt’s return and said he had been “greatly missed”.
“How nice to hear the tones of John Hunt back at the racecourse again,” wrote Neil Watson on X. “Just take it slow and steady my friend as everyone in this wonderful sport has got your back.”
Another X user, James Knight, said it was “genuinely fantastic to hear him back commentating”. “Great to have you back, John,” added another, named Linda.
Carol Hunt and her daughters Louise and Hannah were found fatally injured at the family home in Ashlyn Close, Bushey, just after 7pm on July 9.
A massive manhunt was launched for suspect Kyle Clifford, who was found just under 24 hours later with what were thought to be self-inflicted injuries in the Hilly Fields area of Enfield, north London.
Clifford was arrested on suspicion of killing the mother and two daughters.
On August 30, an inquest into the deaths of Carol, Louise and Hannah Hunt was opened and then adjourned by the coroner, to allow any criminal proceedings to take place.
It heard how Hannah Hunt, 28, was still alive and had a crossbow bolt in her chest when police arrived.
She had been able to text someone pleading for help, telling them she had been “tied up”. The text asked the unnamed recipient to call the police, telling them the person responsible was still at the house, a coroner’s officer told the 10-minute hearing.
Ms Hunt was then able to call 999, reporting that she had been shot, as had her mother and sister, Hertfordshire Coroner’s Court was told. She gave her address before the call cut out.
When officers arrived, they found Ms Hunt alive in the main doorway of the home, with a crossbow bolt still in her chest, senior coroner for Hertfordshire Geoffrey Sullivan heard.
Carol Hunt, 61, died from stab wounds to her chest and abdomen, while her daughters Hannah and Louise, 25, died from crossbow bolt injuries, the hearing was told.
In a tribute to the three victims following the killings, Mr Hunt and his surviving daughter Amy had said: “The devastation that we are experiencing cannot be put into words.”
In a further statement read to Sky Sports Racing viewers by his colleague Matt Chapman, Mr Hunt paid tribute to his “magnificently inspirational” surviving daughter.
He said: “Notwithstanding the horrid evil that’s swept through our lives, wreaking devastation on an unimaginable scale, the counter to that has been the breathtaking messages of support, some of which are still to be read.
“Amy, my eldest daughter, has been magnificently inspirational with her control and support for me, which I am trying, trying so hard, to replicate.
“Every message has felt so important, the same as a reassuring hug.
“We know people are worried about us. We will get through this.”
