A pensioner, Nancy Pexton, who turns 70 on Friday, stands accused of murdering her older sister, film director Jennifer Abbott Dauward, in her own North London flat on June 10 last year. Prosecutors allege Pexton stabbed her sister multiple times and stole her valuable gold, diamond-encrusted Rolex watch, leaving Ms. Abbott's body to decompose for days.

The Old Bailey heard that Pexton, described as homeless, contacted her sister by phone for over 15 minutes shortly after 11:30 AM on June 10. She then travelled to Ms. Abbott's flat in Mornington Place, Camden, arriving just before 1 PM. Pexton remained at the flat for approximately an hour, leaving around 1:45 PM. Immediately after her departure, she called her GP, claiming she had taken an overdose and felt suicidal. During a subsequent 999 call, Pexton also alleged family abuse, stating her family was "very powerful" and would kill her if she reported them, adding, "Last hour and a half I blacked out, I don't know what I've done." This led to her hospitalization.

Three days later, on June 13, Ms. Abbott's lifeless body was discovered by a concerned relative or neighbour who forced entry into her flat after her dog, a Corgi named Prince, was heard barking persistently and found locked in a bathroom. Ms. Abbott, also known as Sarah Steinberg, was found covered by a sheet, partly naked, and decomposing. She was lying primarily face up, with her head towards the window and feet towards the door. Her right arm was extended under a coffee table, and her left arm was across her body. She appeared to be wearing only her knickers, and duct tape was found over her mouth.

A subsequent autopsy revealed significant injuries to the upper half of her body, including multiple stab and slash wounds, a large "slash-type" wound across her neck, and a single defensive wound to her right hand. The prosecution confirmed there was no evidence of sexual abuse. Crucially, Ms. Abbott's cherished Rolex watch, which she was "greatly attached" to and seldom removed, was missing from her body. It was later discovered among Pexton's possessions during a police search of her bag at the hospital.

When questioned about the watch, Pexton initially told police, "Oh yes, that's my sister's. She asked me to look after it." However, this contradicted a previous statement where she claimed she didn't know if Ms. Abbott was wearing her Rolex that day. Pexton denies murder, suggesting she had only visited her sister to obtain pills for her depression and that a local drug dealer might have been responsible for the killing. She maintained she had a blackout regarding the events inside the flat and later gave an account denying assaulting her sister.

The court heard that blue dungarees Pexton wore on the day of the alleged murder were covered in Ms. Abbott's blood. Pexton claimed this was due to her sister suffering a nosebleed while they hugged, an explanation a forensic scientist deemed less likely than a result of stabbing. While in hospital, Pexton allegedly asked one of her adult daughters to wash or dispose of these blood-covered clothes.

Prosecutor William Boyce KC told jurors that the prosecution contends Pexton murdered her sister during the 90-minute period she was in the flat. He argued that the "traumatic nature" of Ms. Abbott's death proves her assailant intended to kill or cause really serious harm. Boyce emphasized there was no legal justification or excuse for the killing and that the central issue for the jury is to determine if Pexton was indeed responsible for the murder. Ms. Abbott was 69 at the time of her death, nine months older than Pexton, and described as "frail and inactive" but regularly walked her dog, Prince.

The trial continues at the Old Bailey.