Nancy Pexton Jailed For Life With Minimum 22 Years For Killing Jennifer Abbott And Stealing Rolex

Nancy Pexton, 70, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years for murdering her sister, film director Jennifer Abbott, and stealing her diamond-encrusted gold Rolex watch.

“Woman jailed for murdering sister and taking Rolex A woman has been jailed for murdering her film director sister Jennifer Abbott Dauward in her home in north London before stealing a diamond-encrusted gold Rolex watch”

BBC

The Old Bailey jury convicted Pexton on 10 June last year, and sentencing took place on Friday, with Judge Anuja Dhir KC telling the court she was sure Pexton intended to kill her sister given the “ferocity” of the attack.

BBC

The BBC reported that Abbott, 69, was found dead on 13 June after a neighbour broke down the door, with gaffer tape covering her mouth in her living room.

The Guardian said Pexton stabbed Abbott 10 times and left her body to be found three days later in the property in Camden, a court heard.

Prosecutors and judges described the killing as both brutal and deliberate, with Judge Dhir saying taping up her sister’s mouth was a “deliberate act of degradation” and “callous, demeaning and cruel”.

The BBC added that a post-mortem examination found Abbott had sustained a number of stab and slash wounds and a single defensive wound to her right hand.

Police later recovered the Rolex from Pexton’s bag in hospital, after she was arrested on 18 June, according to the Guardian and BBC.

The court heard that Abbott was last seen alive on a doorbell camera as she returned from walking her corgi, Prince, at 7.36am on 10 June 2025, with the Guardian specifying the time as 7.36am and the BBC describing the attack day as “about 07:30 BST”.

Pexton spoke to Abbott by phone at 11.36am and travelled by bus to her flat in Mornington Place at 12.45pm, leaving an hour later, according to the Guardian and the BBC.

The Guardian

After that, Abbott called her GP, reported taking an overdose, and was taken to hospital, where she stayed before being arrested on 18 June, the BBC and Guardian both said.

On 13 June, a neighbour used a scaffolding pole to break down Abbott’s door after becoming concerned he could not hear her dog barking, and the BBC said Abbott was found dead on the living room floor.

The Guardian reported that Abbott’s partially naked body was found with gaffer tape over her mouth and a large, “slash-type” wound across her neck, while the BBC described gaffer tape covering her mouth and injuries consistent with violent assault.

The Rolex, described as a gift from her son Brad Carlson that she never took off, was missing at the time of the discovery, and the Guardian said it was recovered by police from Pexton’s bag in hospital.

The BBC and Welwyn Hatfield Times both said Pexton claimed Abbott had given her the watch to “look after”, and both outlets described her as of “no fixed address”.

Judge Dhir KC framed the sentencing around what she said showed intent and a lack of remorse, telling Pexton: “Your actions and conduct after the killing demonstrates not only your absence of remorse but also a deliberate and callous attitude towards what you had done.”

“A “callous and cruel” woman who slit the throat of her film director sister before making off with her diamond-encrusted gold Rolex watch has been jailed for at least 22 years”

The Irish News

The judge said taping up her sister’s mouth was a “deliberate act of degradation” which was “callous, demeaning and cruel”, and she added that “This act demonstrates the depth of your animosity and hostility towards your sister.”

In the same sentencing remarks, Judge Dhir said Pexton “took the watch because it was valuable and because you were jealous of your sister’s greater financial security.”

The Guardian and BBC both reported that the court heard Abbott’s son Brad Carlson describe the killing as “monstrous” and “heinous”, and the BBC quoted him saying, “She was my whole world, she was everything to me.”

The Welwyn Hatfield Times added that Carlson described Abbott as his “hero” and “role model”, saying she had climbed out of early difficulties, bought property, wrote books and made movies.

The BBC also reported that Carlson said the loss of his mother was an “unbelievable nightmare” and that she devoted herself to supporting him.

The Crown Prosecution Service representative Devi Kharran told the court that “Today, Nancy Pexton has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 22 years’ imprisonment for the murder of her own sister, Jennifer Abbott,” and the BBC said Detective Inspector Barry Hart described the sentence as reflecting the gravity of the murder.

While the court heard evidence of a violent attack, Pexton’s account to police and her conduct during the case were described in the reporting.

The Guardian said that when questioned, Pexton said she had been given the Rolex to “look after”, and it also reported that Carlson told the court of a “bubbling” resentment between his mother and aunt.

The Times of India

The BBC similarly said Pexton claimed Abbott gave her the watch to “look after”, and it reported that Abbott was captured on doorbell camera as she returned from walking her corgi Prince at about 07:30 BST.

The Welwyn Hatfield Times reported that Pexton went on to claim she got blood all over her clothes when she hugged Ms Abbott while she was having a nosebleed, but it said messages from months before exposed jealousy and animosity.

Those messages were quoted by multiple outlets, including the Welwyn Hatfield Times and Irish News, where Pexton wrote: “I’m planning to kill my sister whom I love but she destroyed my life. “Loose lips, loose lips can sink ships – and she sank my ship.”

The Irish News reported that Pexton initially told police she was “venting” her feelings and had no memory of the 90 minutes covering the time spent in her flat.

The Welwyn Hatfield Times added that Pexton declined to give evidence in her trial, opting to appear in court by videolink from Bronzefield jail.

The reporting across outlets emphasized different aspects of the same case, while keeping the core facts consistent: Pexton’s life sentence with a minimum of 22 years, the stabbing of Jennifer Abbott 10 times, and the missing Rolex.

“A “callous and cruel” woman who slit the throat of her film director sister before making off with her diamond-encrusted gold Rolex watch has been jailed for life”

Welwyn Hatfield Times

The Guardian foregrounded the judge’s reasoning about intent and degradation, quoting Judge Dhir’s language that taping her sister’s mouth was a “deliberate act of degradation” and that Pexton’s actions showed “absence of remorse” and a “deliberate and callous attitude.”

Welwyn Hatfield Times

The BBC similarly highlighted the sentencing remarks and added procedural details, stating that Pexton was arrested on 18 June and that the Rolex was recovered from her bag after police visited her in hospital.

The Welwyn Hatfield Times and Irish News both described the killing as “callous and cruel” and repeated the quoted messages about planning to kill her sister, while the Irish News also described the body being left “to rot” on the sofa.

The Guardian included the detail that Abbott was captured on a doorbell camera at 7.36am on 10 June 2025 and that Pexton travelled by bus to Mornington Place at 12.45pm, leaving an hour later, while the BBC described the time as “about 07:30 BST” and used the same phone and bus times.

The BBC also included the post-mortem finding of a defensive wound to Abbott’s right hand, while the Guardian described a “slash-type” wound across her neck.

The Times of India framed the case through the lens of intent and evidence, quoting Judge Dhir’s “I am sure you intended to kill your sister, given the ferocity of the attack,” and it also described the neighbour forcing entry and the dog being trapped inside.