Family pay tribute to ‘altruistic’ London woman as her killer is jailed for life

A retired Old Bailey judge has paid tribute to his daughter after her killer was jailed for life.

Today at Snaresbrook crown court, Clifton George, 45, was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the murder of Annabel Rook, 46, whom he stabbed in the living room of her own home in Stoke Newington, north London.

Peter Rook described his daughter as altruistic, non-judgmental and “one of the world’s great life enhancers”, and praised her dedication to helping other people.

Annabel Rook was the co-founder of MamaSuze, which supports refugee women. Her other ventures included running workshops for the arts organisation Pan Intercultural Arts, and helping to set up the award-winning Amies Freedom Choirs for women who have been victims of trafficking.

Speaking to the Press Association, Peter Rook also said the family were unaware of the extent of George’s abuse and that some details had been only brought to their attention during the hearings.

George, an electrician, stabbed Annabel with a kitchen knife 31 times, including through the heart, before opening the valve of a propane gas canister and starting a fire in the basement of the house in June last year.

This occurred after the couple, who had been together for 10 years, came into an argument after Annabel split with George and asked him to move out of her home. During the trial the jury heard that she had told friends and family that she was considering leaving him.

Throughout the duration of the trial, George was described as an aggressive and bullying partner who displayed patterns of abuse and was prone to angry outbursts over trivial matters. “He was always very careful to not show us how angry he could get,” said Susanna Rook, Annabel’s mother, reflecting on the “horrible” evidence her daughter’s friends and family sat through over four weeks in court.