A man has been sentenced to life for murdering his partner before causing a gas explosion in their north London home.
Clifton George will serve a minimum term of 23 years after he killed Annabel Rook in the living room of their Stoke Newington house on June 16 last year.
That night, he stabbed Ms Rook 31 times before starting a fire in the basement, causing a gas explosion.
A jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court – where George was sentenced on Tuesday – previously found him guilty of Ms Rook’s murder at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday, 3 June.
Ms Rook had tried to end her 10-year relationship with George before her murder and had outlined how she lived in fear of his abuse in a letter addressed to her partner, which was never sent.
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‘A year ago we came to the decision we weren’t making each other happy,’ it read.
‘Somehow love wasn’t enough. We couldn’t reach each other.’
She added: ‘My heart is broken,’ outlining how George would ‘gaslight’ her and that she didn’t want to be around him.
Prosecutor William Emlyn Jones KC said the letter was ‘a heartbreaking description of a woman reluctantly letting go of her dream of a happy life with her partner’.
‘It is not angry, or hurtful – it is expressed as an attempt to be reasonable and accepting that the relationship just isn’t going to work.’
Speaking of Ms Rook’s murder, the prosecutor added: ‘In the course of that argument [George] 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.’
He then lit the fire which caused the gas explosion at the family house in Dumont Road.
George, an electrician who had worked on major projects such as Crossrail and the Northern Line extension, initially denied the charge and claimed he had lost control of himself when he punched, throttled and ultimately stabbed his partner.
But by the end of the trial the judge, Mr Justice Constable KC, had ruled that his defence could not be relied on thanks to ‘overwhelming’ evidence of George’s short temper and a pattern of abuse directed towards Ms Rook.
The trial heard George was an aggressive and bullying partner who was prone to outbursts, even over trivial matters.
Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, said: ‘Annabel Rook was a much-loved mother, daughter, sister and friend. She was also an active and well-known member of the Stoke Newington community who dedicated her life to supporting vulnerable women.
‘Her loss has been deeply felt by many people across the local area and beyond.
‘I would like to pay tribute to the detectives and specialist officers who worked tirelessly to ensure George was jailed for this terrible crime.
‘Tackling violence against women and girls remains one of the Met’s highest priorities. My message to anyone experiencing domestic abuse is simple: please come forward. You will be listened to, you will be taken seriously, and we will do everything we can to protect and support you.
‘Nothing can undo the immense loss suffered by Annabel’s loved ones, but I hope Clifton’s sentence provides a measure of comfort for Annabel’s loved ones and demonstrates our determination to pursue those who commit these appalling crimes.’