The “violent misogyny promoted” by controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate “fuelled” Kyle Clifford’s murderous attacks on his ex-partner and her family, a court heard.
Prosecutors said the triple killer searched for Tate’s podcast less than 24 hours before he killed Louise, Carol and Hannah Hunt on July 9 last year.
Suggesting the link between the search for Tate’s podcast and the murders, as well as the rape on Louise, Alison Morgan KC said: “It’s misogynistic, trying to control Louise Hunt in the context of a final act of spite. You can see how the mind was working.”
Tate, alongside 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 the pair in Florida.
Mr Justice Bennathan ruled the jury at Cambridge Crown Court could not hear evidence regarding the killer’s searches about Tate, saying it was “deeply prejudicial” to his rape trial because the influencer was “almost a poster boy for misogynists”.
He 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.”
In his ruling, the judge said: “In conversation with an acquaintance the defendant made reference to watching an Andrew Tate video and was online looking at Tate or some of his outpourings, the day before the murders and the alleged rape.
“The prosecution suggest the sort of violent misogyny promoted by Tate is the same type of motivation that, on their case, fuelled both the murders and the rape.
“The defence submit this material has too vague a link and is far too prejudicial.”
Ruling that the jury should not hear the evidence about Tate, Mr Justice Bennathan continued: “My reasons for excluding this evidence are twofold.
“First, it lacks any direct impact on the evidence in this trial or the count the defendant faces.
“Second, it is deeply prejudicial.
“Tate is almost a poster boy for misogynists and one, in addition, who is very much in the news at the moment as he has been allowed to leave Romania, and there is speculation in the media that he was able to do so with the assistance of the new government in power in the United States of America.
“I have no idea if there is any truth at all to that claim, but the fact it has been asserted means Tate may be back in the news during the currency of this short trial.
“On the twin grounds of limited relevance and great possible prejudice, I exclude that material.”
The prosecution argued the material Clifford was searching showed “how he views women and why sexualised violence is an important part of the attack.”
Ms Morgan told the court: “On any sensible view, back in 2024 and now, he was a widely known misogynist.
“That’s what he was searching less than 24 hours before he was trying to get into the Hunt family home.
“He was searching for an Andrew Tate podcast.
“It’s misogynistic, trying to control Louise Hunt in the context of a final act of spite. You can see how the mind was working.”
“It’s how he views women and why sexualised violence is an important part of the attack.
“Relationships are part of the story but it really does come to a head through that search as someone who sees the world through that viewpoint.”