Pensioner Accused of Stabbing Sister to Death and Taking Diamond Rolex
A pensioner accused of stabbing her film director sister to death and stealing her diamond-encrusted Rolex watch had written notes describing her sibling as "evil," a murder trial at the Old Bailey has heard.
Nancy Pexton, who turned 70 today, is alleged to have slit the throat of Jennifer Abbott, 69, on 10 June last year at her flat in Mornington Place, Camden, north London. Prosecutors claim she left the body to rot and made off with the treasured timepiece.
Dog Locked in Bathroom for Three Days
The court was told that Pexton locked her elder sister's large Corgi dog, Prince, in the bathroom where he survived without food for three days. The dog was discovered when a concerned relative raised the alarm after Ms Abbott failed to answer the door to her niece, Pexton's daughter. A neighbour subsequently broke down the door.
Ms Abbott, a film director and author also known as Sarah Steinberg, was found dead on 13 June last year wearing only her knickers. There was no suggestion she had been sexually assaulted.
Notes and Messages Reveal Turbulent Relationship
Prosecutor William Boyce KC told the jury that in the year before she was killed, Ms Abbott forwarded a message to her nephew Feras Abu-Khait which she said was from Pexton. In the message, Pexton expressed love for her sister but accused her of betrayal due to jealousy since childhood.
The message read: "You know jenny I always loved you from my heart and u betrayed me in every way becouse you jelouse of me al the time since we were kids and yiur jelousy turned to hate."
Pexton said she had been planning to kill her sister but it was "just a thought" and she would never hurt her. Mr Boyce described these as "expressions of hate mixed with love, coupled with jealousy."
Victim Feared for Her Safety
Ms Abbott sent messages to her nephew saying she was scared and that the defendant had attempted to murder two of her boyfriends. She suggested Pexton had hired two people to beat up a man named David and asked whether she should apply for a restraining order.
The court heard that Ms Abbott had written "restraining order against Nancy" on a piece of paper. Her nephew advised her not to go to the police at that stage, and although she was worried, the authorities were not contacted.
Defendant's Changing Accounts and Evidence
Pexton went to hospital on 10 June—the day prosecutors allege she murdered her sister—and was initially treated as a witness by police. She was arrested on 18 June after Ms Abbott's gold Rolex was found in her bags.
Pexton claimed her sister had given her the watch to keep, despite previously telling police her sister never took it off. In the note section of her phone, she referred to having thoughts about killing her sister, among complaints about other family members.
Defence Claims Notes Were "Venting"
At a police interview, Pexton's solicitor read a prepared statement on her behalf, saying: "I loved my sister Jennifer Abbott. I would never harm her and I did not kill my sister." She explained that she used the notes on her phone to vent her feelings, often when under the influence of alcohol.
"Those notes are not necessarily a reflection of my inner thoughts," she said. "Some of those messages were just venting... I do not think my sister was evil, I used that term just to vent but I did not mean it."
Prosecution's Summary of the Case
Summarising the case, Mr Boyce said: "The prosecution say that the defendant murdered her sister, Jennifer Abbott, on 10 June 2025. There is no coincidence in the fact that Ms Abbott was not seen outside her flat after her dog walk on the morning of 10 June, and was not seen or heard from by anyone from that lunchtime."
He highlighted that Ms Abbott's phone showed no sign of human interaction after a call from Pexton at 11.36 that morning. "The defendant was the very last person to see her alive, leaving her home just before 2pm on 10 June 2025. Thereafter—no sight, no sound, no activity," he added.
Mr Boyce noted that Pexton provided varying accounts of her visit to her sister, initially claiming she blacked out but later giving a detailed statement. She did not mention the Rolex watch in her witness statements, only claiming her sister gave it to her when it was found by police.
"So, say the prosecution, having stabbed her sister to death, she took the watch for her own purposes," he concluded.
Background of the Sisters
Pexton was homeless at the time of the killing but was staying in a block of flats called Dorset House near Baker Street with her daughter Yvonne. Ms Abbott had lived in Los Angeles in her youth to become a film producer, directing films and writing several novels before moving back to the UK.
Pexton, of Gloucester Place, Marylebone, denies murder. The trial continues and is expected to last three weeks.
