A woman has appeared in court charged with murdering her 69-year-old sister who was found stabbed inside her north London home.
Nancy Pexton, also 69, appeared at Highbury Corner magistrates court on Friday charged with murdering Jennifer Abbott, also known as Sarah Steinberg, last Tuesday.
The Metropolitan police had previously said officers were investigating whether Abbott’s death was linked to a diamond-encrusted Rolex missing from her home.
It is understood Pexton and Abbott are sisters, and Pexton is nine months younger than Abbott.
Abbott was found dead by her niece and neighbours who broke her door down at her flat in Camden last Friday, after her family had not heard from her for several days.
A postmortem examination gave the cause of death as sharp force trauma.
Neighbours said they regularly saw Abbott, a film director and author of several novels, walking her pet corgi in the area, with one describing her as “exuberant” and “vivacious”.
In a short hearing, Pexton, of no fixed address, spoke only to confirm her name and date of birth.
Deputy district judge Lee Marklew remanded the 69-year-old in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 24 June.
He told her: “You will meet your barrister and will be given some advice in the coming weeks. This is an administrative hearing. You will be remanded in custody until then.”
