A 70-year-old woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years for the murder of her sister in a London flat. Nancy Pexton stabbed Jennifer Abbott ten times and stole her gold Rolex watch, leaving her body undiscovered for three days.
The Old Bailey jury convicted Pexton on Wednesday of murdering Abbott, a 69-year-old US citizen and film director, on 10 June last year. Sentencing on Friday, Judge Dhir highlighted the ferocity of the attack and Pexton's lack of remorse, describing her actions as callous and deliberate.
The court heard that Abbott was captured on doorbell camera returning from walking her dog at 7.36am on the day of the murder. Pexton called her sister at 11.36am, travelled by bus to her flat at 12.45pm, and left an hour later. She later reported taking an overdose and was arrested in hospital on 18 June.
Abbott's partially naked body was found on the living room floor with gaffer tape over her mouth and a severe slash wound to her neck. The Rolex, a gift from her son which she never removed, was recovered from Pexton's bag in hospital. Pexton claimed she had been given it to look after.
Abbott's son, Brad Carlson, testified about a long-standing resentment between his mother and aunt, describing hostility that had been bubbling up. The judge noted that Pexton took the watch due to jealousy over her sister's greater financial security.
