Woman killed by partner at home in London feared ‘he was on the warpath’, court hears

The co-founder of a social enterprise who was fatally stabbed by her partner said he was “on the warpath” shortly before she died, in a voice message that was played during a murder trial. Clifton George, 45, is accused of murdering 46-year-old Annabel Rook during an argument at their home in north London last June. The court heard that Rook died after being punched, strangled and stabbed 22 times by George, before he started a fire which caused a gas explosion likened to a “mini earthquake”. George admitted he was responsible for killing Rook, his partner of ten years, but denied the murder charge. Instead, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, due to a loss of self-control – a plea which has not been accepted by prosecutors. Rook told her father, a retired Old Bailey judge, George had been bullying her and flying into rages over “trivial things”. She described living with him as like “walking on eggshells”. Snaresbrook crown court heard, just 17 days before she was killed, Rook left her sister voice notes saying she no longer felt the relationship was “tenable”. “I fear there will be some more wrath to come,” she said in the message, which was played in court. After seeking legal advice, she was told George did not have any claim to their £1.2m home in Dumont Road in Stoke Newington – which she had bought before they got together – because the couple were unmarried. …