Man who murdered partner and blew up home jailed
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Family handoutA man who murdered his partner before blowing up their home in a gas explosion has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years.
Clifton George, 45, attacked mother-of-two Annabel Rook after she tried to end their 10-year relationship.
He punched and tried to strangle the 46-year-old before stabbing her 31 times. Rook was found dead at the house they shared on Dumont Road in Stoke Newington, north London, in the early hours of 17 June 2025.
George admitted manslaughter and arson but denied murder, claiming he had lost control. He was convicted of murder after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
The trial heard evidence that George was an aggressive and bullying partner who was prone to angry outbursts over trivial matters.
After killing Rook, he started a fire in the basement in order to cause a gas canister explosion which ripped through the house, causing around £400,000 of damage.
Sentencing him, Mr Justice Constable KC said George had the ability to be friendly and fun, but he had “another troubling side to your character”.
“An overwhelming picture has emerged of your rage, anger, and volatility”, said the judge, adding that George had a “pronounced temper” which could be sparked by trivial matters and “perceived slights”.
PARook’s father, retired Old Bailey judge Peter Rook, branded George “utterly selfish” while her mother Susanna Rook called him “a wicked, totally narcissistic, damaged person”.
Delivering a victim impact statement in court, Susanna held back tears as she hailed her daughter as “optimistic, inclusive, and full of fun”.
“We know we will never be able to come to terms with her death, and life without her is painful and hard to bear,” she said.
Rook’s sister Sophie told the court: “Without Annabel, there is less joy and less hope.”
She said her sister’s murder has left the family dealing with the “painful question of whether we could have done more to help her escape”.
Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC suggested during the trial that the blast had been George’s attempt to destroy the evidence of the murder.
When neighbours came to investigate after the explosion, George was found lying on the kitchen floor covered in blood.
He admitted that he had “lost it” before killing Rook and he tried to stab himself with a shard of broken glass.
In his defence, George insisted he did not have a “short fuse”, but friends and family of Rook gave evidence of his true character.
Rook’s best friend, Sian Davin, had told jurors he had “unreasonable flashing rage anger” at times, would fat-shame and gaslight Rook, and possessed a “tendency to over-react about small trivial things”.
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