The couple were not married but had been living together for more than a decade. The jury was told their relationship had difficulties and had significantly deteriorated by mid-2025, with separation “appearing imminent”.
The court heard Rook had been stabbed at least 22 times, including through the heart, before the explosion.
Investigators believe George unsuccessfully tried to ignite the gas using electrical switches and the kitchen hob before eventually starting a fire in the basement using burning paper, which caused the gas to explode directly underneath the living room, where Annabel Rook’s body was lying.
Emlyn Jones told the jury: “The force of the blast lifted the floorboards, shifted the furniture, and caused significant damage to the property and to the house next door. It also made an almighty bang.”
Neighbours recalled a “massive boom which felt like a mini-earthquake”.
Emlyn Jones also told jurors that the neighbours had heard three screams the previous evening.
George was found lying on the kitchen floor covered in blood and broken glass, while the roof of the kitchen extension had been blown off. The court heard the neighbours shouted for George to “get out” of the house, but he then started to stab himself in the neck.
Rook, the daughter of retired Old Bailey judge Peter Rook, was the co-founder of a London-based social enterprise called MamaSuze, which supports refugee and migrant women with art and drama activities and workshops.
The trial continues.
