A 70-year-old woman, Nancy Pexton, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing her sister, Jennifer Abbott, in Camden, northwest of London. 

Ms Abbott’s lifeless body was discovered in her living room, located at Mornington Place, Camden, three days after her murder. 

A concerned relative, Mai Pexton and a neighbour, who used a scaffolding pole to access the victim’s apartment, said they met Ms Abbott lying on the floor with severe stab wounds on her neck.

Jurors at London’s Central Criminal Court earlier on Wednesday convicted the victim’s sister, Ms Pexton of being responsible for the criminal misconduct.

Ms Pexton was convicted after investigations, supported by forensic, CCTV and digital evidence, revealed that she fatally stabbed her sister on June 10, 2025.

Declaring the sentence, a senior British judge, Anuja Dhir KC, ruled on Friday that Ms Pexton must serve a minimum of 22 years custodial term, describing the crime as ‘deliberate and callous.’

“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,” the judge stated.

The judge noted that Ms Pexton’s act of taping the victim’s mouth was “callous, demeaning, cruel and a deliberate act of degradation.”

“This act demonstrates the depth of your animosity and hostility towards your sister. You took the watch because it was valuable and because you were jealous of your sister’s greater financial security,” the British judge stated.

Commenting, the principal investigator, Detective Inspector Barry Hart stated that the court’s ruling confirmed the weight of the crime committed.

He stated that Ms Pexton initially denied being responsible for her sister’s death, noting that determined efforts by detectives helped uncovered indisputable evidence that told a different story.

“The sentence handed down today reflects the gravity of this murder and ensures that Pexton will spend a substantial period of time in prison,” the officer said.

“From the outset, Pexton denied responsibility for her sister’s death, but the evidence uncovered during this investigation tells a different story. Throughout the determined investigation, officers were able to unpick Pexton’s action and support the successful prosecution that has brought about today’s sentence.”

“While no sentence can undo the devastation caused to Jennifer’s family and friends, this sentence demonstrates that those who commit the most serious offences will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice,” he stated.

The principal investigator noted that CCTV footage revealed that Ms Pexton travelled to the victim’s residence on the date of the incident and was the last person known to have seen Ms Abbott alive before her death.

He explained that a Rolex watch, similar to one worn by Ms Abbott in a photograph shared with the police by family members, was found in Ms Pexton’s bag following her arrest.

The detective added that forensic and digital evidence also revealed Ms Pexton’s DNA on the duct tape used to bind the victim’s mouth during the incident.