Woman stabbed to death before gas explosion named by police

A lady discovered stabbed after a fuel explosion at her dwelling has been named as a charity employee who supported refugees.

Annabel Rook, 46, was discovered fatally injured at a home in Dumont Street, Stoke Newington, north London, simply earlier than 05:00 BST.

She labored for a charity she co-founded known as Mama Suze CIC, which helps refugee and migrant girls, some who’ve fled home violence, with artwork and drama actions.

A 44-year-old man arrested on suspicion of homicide was taken with slash wounds to hospital, the place his situation isn’t life-threatening, the Met Police mentioned. The pressure believes Ms Rook’s demise was “a domestic-related incident”.

Two youngsters aged seven and 9 had been additionally taken to hospital as a precaution however usually are not thought to have been inside the house when the explosion occurred.

John Martin, who labored with Ms Rook for a couple of decade earlier than she arrange her charity, mentioned the information of her demise was “devastating”.

“She got here to us a volunteer trainee eager about utilizing drama and dealing with teams of trafficked girls,” mentioned Mr Martin, the inventive director of the charity Pan Intercultural Arts.

“She was a really vigorous, bubbly, enthusiastic individual, stuffed with confidence and a need to make girls’s lives higher, particularly those that have been by way of the hell of being trafficked.”

He added: “She definitely introduced a whole lot of not simply happiness however improvement in these girls’s lives.”

Neighbour Caroline Lacey advised the BBC the home the place the explosion occurred was dwelling to a household.

“It’s totally, very unhappy… they are a younger couple, they have younger youngsters, so it is a shock… it is tragic.”

Instructor Alun Gordon mentioned: “We simply wakened to an enormous bang… my complete home shook, it felt like a truck had hit the home.

“I then heard screams, somebody shouting ‘oh my God’ a number of occasions, so I got here outdoors and principally all of the neighbours appeared of their pyjamas.

“We shortly established that the kids acquired out, that there’d been marital strife.”

He added: “My daughter babysat for her and we might chat to her as a neighbour. It is a huge tragedy for the road.”

One resident mentioned he heard a crash “like any person dropped a large glass cupboard from a crane”.

The person, who didn’t need to be named, added: “I regarded out and noticed panes of glass on the ground.

“Ultimately I observed the beam on the bay window was lacking and will see some gentle smoke popping out of the again.

“Individuals beginning arriving and saying to cellphone the police.”

Det Ch Supt Brittany Clarke described the incident as “extraordinarily tragic” and prolonged her condolences to Ms Rook’s household.

“Our officers arrested a person on suspicion of homicide on the scene and will probably be conducting interviews as quickly as attainable, to ascertain the total circumstances that led to Annabel’s demise,” she added.