Clifton George Accused of Annabel Rook Murder Before East London Gas Explosion
Clifton George is accused of repeatedly punching and fatally stabbing Annabel Rook, 46, at their home on Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, in June 2025, before orchestrating a gas explosion. Prosecutors assert the couple's relationship had significantly deteriorated, leading to a confrontation where Rook asked George to leave.
Fatal Altercation and Deliberate Blast
William Emlyn Jones KC, opening the prosecution's case, detailed how George allegedly punched Rook, attempted to strangle her, then retrieved a knife from the kitchen to inflict the fatal stabs. The court heard Rook sustained at least 22 stab wounds, one piercing her heart, prior to the blast.
George then reportedly attempted to ignite gas using electrical switches and the hob before starting a fire in the basement with burning paper, causing the gas to explode directly beneath the living room where Ms. Rook's body lay. The resulting blast significantly damaged the property and the adjacent house, described by neighbours as a "massive boom which felt like a mini-earthquake." Neighbours also reported hearing three screams the previous evening.
Following the explosion, George was found on the kitchen floor amidst blood and broken glass, with the kitchen extension roof blown off. Witnesses shouted for him to exit, but he then began stabbing himself in the neck.
Ms. Rook, co-founder of the social enterprise MamaSuze, which supports refugee and migrant women, was the daughter of retired Old Bailey judge Peter Rook. The trial is ongoing.
