Home / Crime and Justice / Woman Feared Partner's Anger Before Being Killed
Woman Feared Partner's Anger Before Being Killed
28 May
Summary
- Victim sent a voice note detailing fear of her partner's anger.
- Accused admits manslaughter but denies murder, citing loss of control.
- Explosion occurred after the fatal assault and alleged suicide attempts.
A London jury has heard devastating testimony in the murder trial of Crossrail worker Clifton George. George, 45, admits to killing his partner, Annabel Rook, 46, on June 16, 2025, at their Stoke Newington home, followed by setting a fire that caused a gas canister explosion. He denies murder, asserting he lost self-control after assaulting Rook approximately 20 times.
During the trial, a voice note recorded by Rook in May 2025 was played, in which she described George's intense anger over improperly cleaned knives. She conveyed her feeling of inevitability, stating, "I can't not make him angry, it's always going to happen." Rook expressed her unease about the relationship's volatility and her gut feeling that something was wrong.
George testified that while he did punch, strangle, and stab Rook, he claimed the explosion was one of several suicide attempts. He described the sequence of events, including stabbing her and then attempting to end his own life through self-harm and the gas canister explosion. The trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court is ongoing.
