Electrician Convicted of Partner Murder, Home Explosion

Clifton George was found guilty of murdering his partner, Annabel Rook, at Snaresbrook Crown Court on June 3, after a trial over her killing and the explosion that ripped through their north London home. Prosecutors said George had already admitted manslaughter and arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, but denied murder. Jurors rejected that account and convicted him of murder, according to the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police. Rook, 46, was killed at the couple’s home in Stoke Newington on the night of June 16, 2025, before an explosion in the early hours of the next morning caused major damage to the property. ### What did the jury decide, and what had George admitted? Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that George had accepted responsibility for Rook’s death by pleading guilty to manslaughter and to arson, but contested the murder charge. On June 3, 2026, the jury found him guilty of murder after trial, the CPS said. (cps.gov.uk) Clifton George was identified by the Metropolitan Police as 44, of Dumont Road, Hackney, while the CPS statement listed him as 45. Both agencies said the conviction followed the killing of his long-term partner, Annabel Rook, 46. ### How did prosecutors say Annabel Rook was killed? Annabel Rook was assaulted and fatally stabbed at the home in Stoke Newington on the night of June 16, 2025, the CPS said. (cps.gov.uk) A post-mortem found bruising to her head, face and neck consistent with punching and strangulation before she was stabbed multiple times. BBC and other trial reports said jurors heard she was stabbed 31 times. Emergency services reached the address in the early hours of June 17, 2025, after the explosion. The CPS said George was in the garden when they arrived and told paramedics that Rook was inside and that he had killed her. ### What caused the explosion after the killing? The CPS said George caused an explosion in the early hours after the stabbing, leading to significant damage to the property. (cps.gov.uk) Trial reports said he started a fire in the basement that triggered a gas canister blast which tore through the house. The Metropolitan Police said the case involved a murder followed by an attempt to set the house alight by causing a gas explosion. (cps.gov.uk) That account matched the arson count to which George had already pleaded guilty. ### What evidence did prosecutors use to argue it was murder, not loss of control? (cps.gov.uk) Catherine Gould of the CPS said George “sought to minimise his actions by claiming he had lost control,” but prosecutors proved intent by showing he assaulted Rook, left the room, retrieved a knife and returned to continue the attack. The CPS said that sequence was central to the murder case. (news.met.police.uk) Phone messages, voice notes, letters, notes and witness statements were presented to the jury, the CPS said. Prosecutors said those records showed a relationship that had been deteriorating for some time and undercut George’s claim that the killing happened in a sudden loss of control. ### What did the trial reveal about the relationship? (cps.gov.uk) Annabel Rook told others that living with George was like “walking on eggshells,” according to the CPS. The agency said she kept notes and letters to herself documenting arguments and incidents involving his anger. Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke said investigators reviewed Rook’s personal notes, along with hundreds of messages and voice notes, and that the material showed abuse she had endured and a deterioration in George’s behavior. (cps.gov.uk) Separate trial reports said prosecutors alleged the killing came after Rook told George she was ending their 10-year relationship. ### Who was Annabel Rook? Peter Rook, her father, said Annabel Rook was “a truly wonderful woman” and “a much loved mother devoted to her two fine sons,” according to the Metropolitan Police statement. Police and prosecutors said she co-founded a charity that supported vulnerable women, including women affected by domestic and sexual abuse. (news.met.police.uk) Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke said Rook was a highly respected charity worker whose organization used art and drama to help vulnerable women rebuild confidence and independence. The CPS said George is due to be sentenced at a later date. (news.met.police.uk)