Clifton George jailed for life for stabbing partner Annabel Rook to death and blowing up Stoke Newington home

An electrician who stabbed his partner to death in a rage and then blew up his house with a gas explosion has been sentenced to at least 23 years in prison.

Clifton George, 45, stabbed 46-year-old Annabel Rook 31 times to death during a fight at their home in Stoke Newington, London.

The couple had a fight after he said they should end their 10-year relationship.

George then started a fire in the basement to cause a gas canister to explode, piercing the house.

He denied murder at a Snaresbrook Crown Court hearing but was convicted by a jury last week.

At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, His Honor Judge KC sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered that he serve a minimum of 23 years before he is eligible for release.

He said George had the ability to be friendly and funny, but there was “another disturbing side to your character.”

“An overwhelming picture has emerged of your anger, irritability and volatility,” the judge said, adding that George had a “marked temper” that could be triggered by trivial matters and “perceived slights”.

Turning to Ms Rook, the judge said she “shined brightly” amid the testimonies of her friends and family as “someone who was kind, attentive, funny and altruistically motivated and whose instinct was to support, listen and improve the lives of others”.

He rejected George’s claim at the hearing that he was provoked by Miss Rook pushing him. The judge said this would be “completely out of character”.

“He was afraid of you, afraid of your wrath,” he said.

“In your anger and resentment, you brutally stabbed Annabel to death.”

He added that even after the murder and explosion, George was “stuck in his selfish belief that Annabel betrayed you.”

Miss Rook’s father, retired Old Bailey judge Peter Rook, branded George “completely selfish”, while her mother Susanna Rook described him as “an evil, completely narcissistic, damaged person”.

Making a victim impact statement in court, Ms Rook held back tears as she hailed her daughter as “optimistic, inclusive and full of fun”.

“We know we can never come to terms with his death, and life without him is painful and hard to bear,” he said.

“We feel Clifton betrayed the trust we placed in him. We welcomed him into the family in every way we could.”

“We understand that his inability to understand and solve his own problems, especially considering his short fuse when he drinks alcohol, means that he is, was, and will continue to be a dangerous man.”

Miss Rook’s sister Sophie told the court: “Without Annabel there would be less joy and less hope.”

He said his sister’s murder left the family “with the painful question of whether we could have done more to help her escape.”

George was found guilty in the murder trial and admitted to arson after he stabbed his partner to death and triggered a gas explosion.

He attempted to argue that he had lost self-control as a partial defense against murder, but this failed due to his short-lived fuse, angry outbursts towards Miss Rook during their relationship, and at least one incident in which he became violent towards her.

Sophie Rook has described the pain of listening to George’s defense case and said George’s attempts to pin the blame on her felt like her sister being attacked again.

Ms Rook was the co-founder of social enterprise MamaSuze, which helps refugee women and children through creative arts workshops.

The national domestic violence helpline offers support to women on 0808 2000 247 or visit: Asylum website. There is a special section men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327. US residents can call the domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). You can reach other international helplines at: www.befrienders.org