Overview
- Prosecutors at Snaresbrook Crown Court, who opened the case Wednesday, played voice notes and read letters in which Annabel Rook said she planned to leave Clifton George.
- Clifton George admits killing Rook and has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson, but he denies murder as the multi-week trial continues.
- Prosecutors say a late-night argument escalated as George punched Rook, tried to strangle her, then fetched a kitchen knife and stabbed her at least 22 times, including a wound to the heart.
- A fire investigator told jurors George opened a propane canister in the basement and, after failed attempts to ignite gas with switches and hob rings, lit paper that triggered the explosion beneath the living room.
- Neighbours described a blast that shook nearby homes, and the case has drawn wider attention because Rook co-founded the MamaSuze social enterprise and had documented a planned separation, a phase researchers link to higher danger in abusive relationships.