Man who murdered partner and blew up home jailed

A 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, punched and tried to strangle mother-of-two Annabel Rook before stabbing her 31 times when she tried to end their 10-year relationship. The 46-year-old was found dead in the family home 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.

Following George's sentencing, Rook's father Peter said she was a "truly wonderful woman, one of the world's life enhancers".

"Above all else, she was a much-devoted mother. She was also a superb daughter, sister, and for so many, a close friend," he said.

"She lived 46 altruistic years in which she gave so much to so many."

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 his 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".

Rook'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".

The court heard of an incident in 2024 when George stormed out of Glastonbury Festival after rowing with one of Rook's friends and then drunkenly haranguing his partner.

In another incident, George had flown into a rage when Rook washed his chef's knives and left them to drip-dry instead of immediately putting them away.

In 2023, Rook confided in her father about George's short temper, saying living with him was like "walking on eggshells" and first mentioning the possibility of a break-up.

Rook told her close friend Catherine Milne about the relationship difficulties while insisting there had been no violence and saying: "I don't think he would do that."

Davin said her friend had acknowledged by summer 2024 that the relationship was "abusive" and a couple of weeks before her death Rook left her sister a message saying the relationship was "not tenable".

"I fear there will be some more wrath to come," she said, in a voice note which was played during the trial, where she went on to predict they would "get through this and will be stronger for it out the other side".

Before the fatal stabbing, Rook had told George that they should separate and he should move out of their home, which she owned.

But she had planned to give her partner £50,000 to find a new home, and harboured hopes that they would continue to holiday together in the future, the court was told.

George, who had been drinking red wine on the night of the murder, had learned that he was not legally entitled to any share of the property, and he started an argument with Rook.

"In the course of that argument he punched her, he then tried to strangle her, and then he went to the kitchen to get a knife, he came back with the knife and he stabbed her to death," said Jones.

"He lost his temper, and in his rage he murdered Annabel."

The trial heard he was the victim of violent abuse at the hands of his mother when he was a child, leading to him being taken into care.

His barrister, Mathew Sherratt KC, told the court: "He understands this is a terrible thing he has done."

George pleaded guilty before the trial to manslaughter and arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered. The jury convicted him unanimously of murder.

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