Clifton George, 45, bowed his head in the dock at Snaresbrook Crown Court as Mr Justice Constable KC sentenced him to life in prison with a minimum term of 23 years for the murder of Annabel Rook. The judge described how an “overwhelming picture has emerged of your rage, anger, and volatility” – rage that led George to punch, try to strangle, and finally stab the 46-year-old mother-of-two 31 times in the living room of their Stoke Newington home on 17 June 2025.
After killing Rook, the electrician – who had worked on major projects including Crossrail and the Northern Line extension – started a fire in the basement to cause a gas canister explosion. The blast ripped through the house in Dumont Road, causing around £400,000 of damage. When neighbours came to investigate, George was found lying on the kitchen floor covered in blood, having tried to stab himself with a shard of broken glass.
“Clifton George jailed for life for stabbing partner Annabel Rook 31 times and blowing up their home.”
Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC had suggested during the trial that the explosion was George's attempt to destroy evidence of the murder. George admitted manslaughter and arson but denied murder, claiming he had lost control after Rook pushed him. The judge rejected that defence, saying a push would have been “completely out of character” for Rook, who feared George’s “wrath”. The court heard that George was an aggressive and bullying partner prone to angry outbursts over trivial matters.
Rook had tried to end their 10-year relationship and had written an unsent letter to George outlining her fear of his abuse. “Somehow love wasn’t enough. We couldn’t reach each other,” it read. “My heart is broken.” The prosecutor called it “a heartbreaking description of a woman reluctantly letting go of her dream of a happy life with her partner”.
In victim impact statements, Rook’s father, retired Old Bailey judge Peter Rook, branded George “utterly selfish”. Her mother Susanna, holding back tears, called him “a wicked, totally narcissistic, damaged person” and said: “We know we will never be able to come to terms with her death, and life without her is painful and hard to bear.” Rook’s sister Sophie told the court: “Without Annabel, there is less joy and less hope,” adding that the family is left with the “painful question of whether we could have done more to help her escape”.
The judge, noting George’s “pronounced temper” sparked by “trivial matters” and “perceived slights”, said that even after the murder George “remained fixated on your self-absorbed belief that Annabel had betrayed you”. George’s best friend, Sian Davin, had told jurors he had “unreasonable flashing rage anger” and would fat-shame and gaslight Rook. The sentence ensures he will serve at least 23 years before being considered for release.