‘I was shot by crossbow killer while I was pregnant – my baby saved my life’
‘I was shot by crossbow killer while I was pregnant – my baby saved my life’
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Laura Sugden, whose boyfriend was killed by her attacker, speaks out as government set to publish review of crossbows following murders of BBC commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters. A woman whose partner was killed in a crossbow attack – and was herself shot while pregnant – has called for tougher laws in the wake of the murders of BBC racing commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters.
![[BBC racing commentator John Hunt’s wife, Carol, and their two daughters, Louise and Hannah, were killed in an attack involving a crossbow at their family home in Bushey last summer]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/07/10/17/newbushey-victims-split-draft-copy.jpg)
Laura Sugden was 20 weeks into her pregnancy when she and her boyfriend Shane Gilmer were attacked by a crossbow-wielding assailant at their family home in east Yorkshire in January 2018. Mr Gilmer, 30, was fatally wounded in the incident, with Ms Sugden, 34, still recalling the horror of him dying on their landing.
![[Ms Sugden, who is now a customer service assistant, is pictured with her daughters Isabelle, 10, and Ella, six, more recently]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/11/740ab243-228b-468b-bbf7-e6848ea72426.jpg)
The mother-of-two miraculously managed to survive the assault despite her being shot in the head. The couple’s baby also survived and Ella is now six years-old but is growing up never knowing her father. Since the tragedy, she has become a campaigner against crossbows, and has spoken out after the conviction of the man who killed the BBC commentator’s loved ones. Kyle Clifford pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Hunt’s wife, Carol, and their two daughters, Louise and Hannah, at their family home last summer. Clifford, 26, has denied one count of rape and is set to stand trial for this charge in March.
![[Mr Gilmer pictured with Isabelle, who is now 10 and was fortunately staying at her father’s house at the time of the attack]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/11/1772c565-e90d-4dbb-aebc-10f2080e1c90.jpg)
“It made me so sad, because I can put myself in those women’s [shoes] – when they were in that situation, when someone is with that in front of them, it’s the scariest thing ever,” Ms Sugden told The Independent. “It made me extremely angry and frustrated... when I’m trying to do something preventing absolute morons getting their hands on something like that and it’s still happening.”.
![[Ms Sugden and Mr Gilmer were shot by an assailant armed with two crossbows when they arrived home the night of 12 January 2018]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/23/11/b882d88f-fd88-452e-8ac2-54ddf2e0cb2b.jpg)
