ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleBBCA man who murdered his partner before setting a fire that triggered a gas canister 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.
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.
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