A pensioner who stabbed her film director sister to death before stealing her Rolex watch and locking the victim's dog in a bathroom has been convicted of murder. Jurors at the Old Bailey took less than a day to find Nancy Pexton guilty of violently killing her sibling, Jennifer Abbott Dauward.
Background of the Case
Pexton, who turned 70 during the trial, was described as homeless and allegedly envious of her sister, who was nine months older. On June 10 last year, she arrived at Ms Abbott's flat in Mornington Place, Camden, north London, carrying some KFC. She left about an hour later, after fatally stabbing her sister.
The Attack
The court heard that Pexton bound her sister with gaffer tape and left her to die, partially covered by a sheet. The body was discovered three days later by a concerned relative. Pexton declined to give evidence, relying on a defence that a drug dealer in the building was responsible. However, forensic experts found Pexton's clothes saturated with her sister's blood, which she claimed was from a nosebleed after hugging Ms Abbott.
Evidence and Conviction
Prosecutor William Boyce KC told jurors that Pexton called her sister for just over 15 minutes around 11:30 am before arriving at the flat. After the murder, she called her GP claiming suicidal feelings and was taken to hospital. The missing Rolex watch, which Ms Abbott wore constantly, was later found among Pexton's possessions. The victim had previously expressed fear of her sister in messages, saying, "Nancy wrote a text saying she is gonna kill me."
Victim's Profile
Jennifer Abbott, also known as Sarah Steinberg, was a 69-year-old film director whose credits include the documentary War of the Gods. She was described as frail but regularly walked her large Corgi dog, which Pexton locked in a bathroom during the attack.
Pexton will be sentenced at a later date.
