A London man has been found guilty of fatally stabbing his longtime partner before he blew up her house.
London’s Metropolitan Police announced in a news release on Monday, June 3, that Clifton George was found guilty of the 2025 murder of Annabel Rook.
George, 45, was found guilty of murder after he previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson. However, he initially denied murdering Rook, 46, and blamed the killing on a loss of self-control.
The Metropolitan Police said that Rook was found dead on June 17, 2025, after local authorities responded to reports that a person was trapped inside of a residence after it exploded around 5:00 a.m.
Upon their arrival, first responders found George in the garden “bleeding heavily from his neck and arms while attempting to stab himself,” per the statement.
He admitted to authorities that Rook was inside the property and said that he killed her. George was then arrested on suspicion of murder and he was transported to the hospital for treatment.
“An earlier argument between the pair had escalated into a brutal attack,” the Metropolitan Police said in their statement. “George had repeatedly punched Annabel and attempted to strangle her. She was subsequently stabbed 22 times.”
Following the stabbing, George then sparked a fire “and set off a gas (propane) canister, triggering an explosion that ripped through their home and woke up neighbors along the street.”
Detectives learned during the investigation that George had been abusive towards Rook in the past and they also used identifying digital evidence, such as Rook’s notes, to learn that she recently tried to leave their relationship. Rook’s hopes to end their romance allegedly made George upset, which likely led to her killing.
In addition to murder, George was convicted of arson with intent to endanger life. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, June 9.
The Crown Prosecution Service said in its own release that George was prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service’s London Homicide Unit, which handles all public prosecutions that take place in England and Wales.
“Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of Annabel Rook. It is devastating that her life was taken in such a violent manner in her own home by someone she should have been able to trust,” CPS employee Catherine Gould said in a statement.
Gould added that Rook was “a deeply caring and empathetic person who had set up a charity working with women traumatised by domestic and sexual abuse.”
“Clifton George sought to minimize his actions by claiming he had lost control. However, the evidence demonstrated that after assaulting Ms Rook, he retrieved a knife and returned to continue the attack, and the prosecution was able to prove the necessary intent for murder,” she added.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
