A woman has been found guilty of murdering her sister, who was found stabbed to death in her north London flat.

Nancy Pexton, 70, was prosecuted by the dedicated Homicide Unit in the Crown Prosecution Service London.

During a trial at the Old Bailey, jurors heard details of how Jennifer Abbott, 69, was found dead at her flat in Camden on 13 June 2025 - three days after she had been killed.

She had been stabbed a number of times. There was black masking tape over Ms Abbott’s mouth, and her pet dog, a Corgi, had been locked in the home and was later rescued by the fire service.

Ms Abbott, who was also known as Sarah Steinberg, was discovered by a relative and a neighbour, who had to break down the front door of the flat to gain entry.

On 29 April 2026, the jury found Pexton guilty of murder. 

Devi Kharran, a Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “Nancy Pexton carried out a brutal and callous attack, killing her own sister. 

“Jennifer Abbot’s life was taken in the very place she should have felt the safest, at the hands of someone she should have been able to trust, and our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved her at this time.

“Despite her repeated denials, the evidence presented in court by the prosecution all pointed to one clear conclusion, and Pexton was found guilty of murder. 

“This verdict is the result of dedicated work from the prosecution team, in close collaboration with the Metropolitan Police, to build the strongest possible case for court and bring Pexton to justice.”

Building the case

To secure a guilty verdict, the CPS prosecutor carefully reviewed and pieced together the evidence which included witness accounts, forensic evidence, phone data, and CCTV, to build a strong case which proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Pexton murdered her sister.  

Phone records showed Pexton called her sister on the morning of 10 June 2025. Around an hour later, at 12.45pm, she visited Ms Abbott at her flat, staying for approximately an hour.

Following Pexton's visit, Ms Abbott was not seen or heard from. She did not answer any calls, and CCTV showed she never left her flat - not even to walk her dog, something neighbours knew her to do regularly.

Among the most significant pieces of evidence was Ms Abbott's Rolex watch, a gift of sentimental value that, according to family members, she never removed. When her body was discovered, the watch was gone. It was later found in Pexton's personal property.

A plastic bag containing blood-stained clothing belonging to Pexton was also recovered. DNA analysis confirmed the blood was the victim’s.

The prosecution also presented evidence of threatening behaviour and hostility by Pexton towards her sister, drawn from phone data and from accounts of those close to Ms Abbott.

After her body was discovered, Pexton was questioned by police and provided varying accounts of what had happened and what she remembered when she went to go visit her on 10 June.