THE family of a woman who was stabbed to death at her home before it exploded have paid tribute to their “truly wonderful” mum.
Charity worker Annabel Rook, 46, was pronounced dead after being found with stab wounds at the scene of her exploded home in Stoke Newington, London, on Tuesday.
Annabel Rook, 46, was stabbed to death before a suspected gas blast exploded her home[/caption]
Emergency crews outside the home in Stoke Newington, London, on Tuesday[/caption]
A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder after being found at the scene suffering from slash wounds[/caption]
A 44-year-old man was also found at the scene with slash wounds and was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Now, Annabel’s family have released a moving tribute to their “beautiful daughter, sister, friend and mother.”
In the message published through the Metropolitan Police, they wrote: “The family is struggling to come to terms with this terrible tragedy.
“Annabel was a truly wonderful woman. She touched the hearts of so many.
“She gave her life to helping the vulnerable and the disadvantaged whether it was in refugee camps in Africa or setting up MamaSuze in London, to enhance the lives of survivors of forced displacement and gender-based violence.
“We would really appreciate it if our privacy could be respected.”
It is understood that children had been at a sleepover in the home before it exploded in a suspected gas blast which “shook” the street.
A friend of the family said her two sons were at a sleepover on Tuesday when she died.
They told The Standard: “We know them well. Our kids are in the same class. The school is on the corner. We are all here because of the school.
“They have two little boys. The kids were out at a sleepover. We know the family from birthday parties, everything.”
Mum-of-two Annabel has been praised by neighbours as a “truly kind and gentle soul” following her death.
They highlighted how she supported women who were survivors of gender-based violence, female migrants and child refugees for two decades.
John Martin, artistic director of PAN Intercultural Arts, where Annabel worked with young refugees for 16 years until 2022, previously described her as “a larger-than-life character” who joined the charity as a volunteer with lots of energy.
In a personal tribute, John said: “Annabel’s energy brought a lot to the women and gave them new hope.
“This was her speciality, I think – a sort of a boundless optimism, a boundless self-confidence, which she transferred onto other people.
“She spent her life, certainly the 10, 12 years that I knew her, fighting against women who had been abused, fighting against violence to women, and the irony is that she then suffered from violence to women in the way that she died yesterday.”
MamaSuze said in a statement shared on Tuesday that it was “devastated by the loss of our beloved co-founder” and that she treated everyone with “warmth and kindness”.
“Annabel was a profound force for good in the world, dedicating her working life to supporting women survivors,” it added.
‘WE ARE IN COMPLETE SHOCK’
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, around 40 firefighters were scrambled to Annabel’s house to put out a blaze which started an hour after neighbours heard “massive bangs” from the peaceful family home.
Two children, aged seven and nine, were taken to hospital as a precaution, but are not currently believed to have been in the building during the explosion.
Cops said: “We do believe this to be a domestic-related incident.”
Neighbours in the leafy London suburb told The Sun they heard a “massive bang” before paramedics attempted to resuscitate Annabel on the street outside her £1 million home.
One said: “I knew them and their kids very well. We are in complete shock. Our daughter was their babysitter.
“Smoke was billowing around the street and we had to shut all our windows.
“It is lucky nothing happened to nobody else.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke, who leads policing in the local area, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this very difficult time.
“Our officers arrested a man on suspicion of murder at the scene and will be conducting interviews as soon as possible, to establish the full circumstances that led to Annabel’s death.
“While enquiries continue, at this early stage we do believe this to be a domestic-related incident.
“We understand what happened will cause concern within the Hackney community and residents can expect to see an increased police presence in the area, along with a crime scene, as we carry out the investigation.
“We are working closely alongside our partners at Hackney Council to help support those residents locally who have been impacted by this.”
Annabel’s family have paid tribute to their ‘truly wonderful’ mum[/caption]
Police had been called to the property at around 4.57am on Tuesday morning[/caption]
