EXCLUSIVE The hellhole London estate where film director was 'murdered for her Rolex': Families say area where 69-year-old was killed is terrifying 'hub for drug dealers' too threatening to go out in
Families living on the London estate where an award-winning film director was 'murdered for her Rolex' claim they are too scared to go out after it became a hub for drug dealers.
Jennifer Abbott, 69, was stabbed to death in her council flat in Camden on Friday just days after she was last seen by neighbours walking her pet corgi Prince.
She was discovered wrapped in a blanket with tape over her mouth by her niece and neighbours, who broke into her home amid growing concerns for her welfare, pals said.
On Thursday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police arrested a woman, 66, over Ms Abbott's murder. It is thought that her diamond-encrusted Rolex may be missing from her address.
The director, who counted Paris Hilton, Kate Hudson and Dan Ackroyd among her A-lister friends, moved to the capital after 'losing everything' from her life as a 'movie star'.
And residents of the Mornington Place estate where she lived have now told MailOnline that the neighbourhood is dominated by crime, leaving people 'frightened'.
Jean Moorcroft Wilson, 83, moved there with her publisher husband in 1979 when there was a friendly community in the area.
She explained that cutting it off from the main road had encouraged drug dealing.
Ms Wilson said: 'When I was asked what I thought about turning Mornington Place into a quiet residential area and cutting off access turning into Albert Street I said it will encourage druggies because there will be no traffic and that's exactly what it did.'
The resident now sleeps downstairs due to an elbow injury but is kept up in the night thanks to people loitering by her property.
'At about 2 or 3 in the morning I am woken with great crowds of people chatting outside,' she added. 'I know perfectly well what's going on and when they come in the middle of the day there are people squatting on doorsteps.
'It's possible that it could seem threatening. When my husband died four years ago I became a lot more apprehensive coming home.
'It makes me intensely nervous coming home. I used to prefer to drive because I could park outside the house and go in with my keys at the ready.
'Years ago a group of young men twirled me around on my way home but if that had been now I would have been terrified.
'It used to be very much a community here I do feel the druggies are a threat to that because it means some people are frightened.
'Its a distinct change. They are slumped here in the day and come out at night. You have to be much more aware of drug takers in this area. It's so near to King's Cross and an established centre for drug taking.'
Ms Wilson said there had been a man who overdosed in one of the flats a few years ago, adding that the woman living there at the time had been a drug taker.
'She of course was terrified it would be attributed to her,' the resident said. 'I can only assume she went and got her friends to wrap him up and dump him in a car park.'
Sheila Bowyer, meanwhile, recalled that her son had found a body in the car park around eight years ago while on his way to work.
'He thought it was a statue that was left there,' she said, explaining that her son then headed home to get his father.
'Jim went out with him and said, "that's not a statue that's a body", and called the police.'
Ms Bowyer moved into her home on the estate with her husband James on her birthday in 1981.
She said it was a 'lovely present she will never forget' and that her 'neighbours were lovely' and it was a pleasant place.
Things have changed, however, with the neighbourhood now a 'hub for drug dealers'.
Flowers seen piled up inside the police cordon after the film director's murder
Ms Bowyer said: 'We used to get druggies coming right outside years ago but it's even worse now.
'They sit in the ground and share their stuff around. I have a garden where they used to do it before.
'We are getting druggies back again. I think we need the police to patrol again like they used to.
'I think it's because it's an area where no one can see them. They are sort of hiding around here. I worry sick when I go out. I feel unsafe, I just don't go out. I'm also petrified especially now.
'When I'm in the kitchen I can see them waiting for drugs. I worry terribly for my grandchildren and son.'
A 75-year-old woman, who has lived in the area for 41 years, said crime was now the worst it 'had ever been'.
'[The druggies] come up and down,' she added. 'They sleep in doorways, they sleep near where she was found. They are all gone now because of the police.
'It's scary living here, especially on the ground level, you can't have windows open.
'I dont go out. I worry especially when it gets dark. This is the worst it's ever been.
'It's sad because it was such a nice lovely area. It's such a shame and sad to see it go down.
'But they will just go to another area if they are moved. It's not a problem you can solve.
'We never see security patrols.'
She described Ms Abbott's death in the estate last week as a 'waste of life'.
'All she did was walk her dog,' the local added. 'He was her life all she did was talk about him.
'Why should this have happened to her, for a watch? What a waste of life.'
Camden has the second highest crime rate of any London borough, according to Met Police figures, with 145,313 offences in the last year, an increase of 4.7 per cent on the 12 months before.
The area of Camden where Ms Abbott lived appears to be a crime hotspot with the estate's LSOA (Lower Layer Super Output Area) the location of 32 thefts, two burglaries, three robberies and 22 cases of violence against the person in the most recent month's statistics alone.
The April 2025 figures show the neighbourhood had 87 crimes in total, the 10th highest of 133 LSOAs in the borough and the 79th of 4,500 in the capital.
Abul Khalam, 65, moved to the street in 2009. His house was broken into in 2019, where crooks stole money.
'Drug people come here, I have seen them taking drugs,' he said. 'A lot of people come here to do that, groups of four or five. But they haven't been around here for days because of the police.'
Speaking of when his home was robbed in 2019, he said: 'It was around 5pm, I went to exercise and came back at 8pm and everything was a mess.
'They used a screwdriver to open the door and I forgot to double lock it. My neighbour has also had her house broken into. I do feel scared.'
A 20-year-old local said he felt 'fairly fine' but that he felt less threatened as a man.
'There are a couple of shady characters here and there but I never feel threatened,' he added. 'I just go to the other side of the street.
'I think it's a reflection of the wider homelessness issue in Camden.
'They can't do their business on the high street they have do it in a quieter area. They just walk around, you see them about once a month.
Announcing the arrest of a woman over the murder on Thursday, Detective Inspector Barry Hart, of Homicide Command, Specialist Crime North, said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with the victim's loved ones who are being supported by specialist officers at this time.
'We thank the local community for their patience as we continue to investigate this shocking crime.
'This arrest marks a significant step forward. There are several lines of enquiry ongoing, and we are working hard to establish the exact circumstances of this incident.
'Locals can expect to see an increased police presence in the area while we conduct our enquires.'
Yesterday locals said that Ms Abbott, known professionally as Sarah Steinberg, had lived at the address for more than 10 years, having moved over from the US.
Her next door neighbour Laura, 34, said: 'She was a movie star. She was in a couple of movies. She used to live in Beverly Hills.
'I live right next door to her. She was a friend of mine. I used to walk her dog when she was sick,' the hairdresser added.
'I wasn't here - I was at my boyfriend's when it happened. I am literally gobsmacked. Who would do that to someone?
'If I was there I maybe could have done something.'
Forensics officers were seen carrying several bags of miscellaneous items from the victim's flat on Wednesday evening.
Police officers were also spotted clearing an area next to the block of flats of branches and leaves.
Neighbour Billie Currie, 63, said he had heard a dog barking for most of the night days before Ms Abbott's body was found.
Mr Currie told MailOnline: 'She was always walking the dog and was really nice. She was quite reserved but very friendly.'
Another neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said she heard screaming from Ms Abbott's niece while she was trying to gain entry to her flat.
Her son then grabbed a metal pole to bash down the door before making the grim discovery.
Ms Abbott's corgi Prince was found locked in the bathroom after miraculously surviving on its own for up to three days.
The neighbour added: 'I heard the girls banging on the door and heard her shouting "help, help".
'She was a vibrant, spritely, and intelligent person. We would talk about a lot of things - politics, current affairs, her likes and dislikes, we knew what each other liked.'
She told of Ms Abbott's colourful career, during which she has worked as a doctor, and was even involved in the film industry where she directed the movie War of the Gods.
'She got interviewed in LA about this movie,' she said. 'She was known as Jenny or Janet and was quite mysterious.'
But heartbreakingly, the neighbour revealed Ms Abbott is thought have recently been diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Another neighbour said the area had recently had issues with homeless people breaking down their doors.
He said: 'I think she had an operation and it went wrong or something and they had taken out a part of her intestines.
'There used to be a lot of homeless, breaking in doors, sleeping inside, going to the toilet.
'Before it was all the time. Community police would come all the time. But not much anymore.'
'It was a dark day when that happened. It's not about me, I feel for her and her son and her niece who had to see her like that. I can't believe I'm not going to see her again.
'We will miss her running around. I mean she was indoors a lot but she made herself known. She'd talk to everyone.
'Her niece said she had a lot of jewellery so the police need to check if anything else is missing.
'To put the dog in the bathroom and then shut her up by putting the tape across her mouth and then they ransacked her house.
'I'm not surprised she had a Rolex. She was a woman of taste who liked to have a lot of nice things.'
The Met are urging any witnesses to come forward with information that could help identify the attacker and the events leading up to her death.
Chief Superintendent Jason Stewart, who leads policing in Camden, said: 'We are working closely with our colleagues in the homicide team to establish exactly what happened and it's incredibly important that we hear from anyone who may have knowledge about how this awful death occurred.
'Were you out in Camden on Friday? Perhaps you had been coming home from work, or at an event nearby? Did you see or hear anything around Mornington Place that struck you as being unusual?
'Someone must have seen or heard something and no piece of information is too small. It could be the crucial clue that leads us to identify Jennifer's murderer.
'Extra patrols continue in the area while my officers remain at the crime scene. I would urge anyone who has any information, or who may be worried, to speak to them.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
Man who sent racist social media message to footballer banned from all games
A man who sent a 'vile and disgusting' racist message to a professional footballer on social media has been banned from attending any matches for three years, police said. Harry Dunbar, 20, from Fareham, Hampshire, sent racial slurs via Instagram to Christopher Wreh, following an FA Cup match between Tamworth and Tottenham Hotspur on January 12. When interviewed by police, Dunbar admitted sending the message because he had lost a bet, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said. Police said Wreh had come on as a substitute for Tamworth in the game. When he later checked his Instagram, he found he had received a message from an account he did not know called 'Dunztagram'. Shocked, he posted a screenshot of the message including the username and then shared it on his social media. 'After an amazing day today, this is the last thing I expected to see when I opened Instagram,' he wrote in the post. 'Nevertheless, thank you for all the support today. Fans were unreal.' This post was viewed more than 1.7 million times, and Wreh was contacted and sent personal messages by others who identified the account holder as Dunbar, who was living in Hampshire at the time. Wreh shared this with the dedicated football officer (DFO) for Tamworth at Staffordshire Police, who then passed this on to the UK Football Policing Unit and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary's dedicated Football Unit. Dunbar, in Whiteley, was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated malicious communications and his phone was seized. Although the Instagram account had been removed, it was identified that he was the owner of the 'Dunztagram' account'. In interview he then admitted sending the message because he had lost a bet. Dunbar was sentenced at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, where he was handed a three-year football banning order, a 12-month community order of 200 hours unpaid work, and 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Superintendent Adrian Hall, head of the operations unit for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, said: 'Just because Christopher Wreh was a footballer, Dunbar decided he had the right to send him a tirade of racist insults. 'Nobody should ever be subjected to such vile and disgusting abuse, regardless of what they do for a living. 'I am absolutely appalled by the racist language used by Dunbar, but immensely thankful to Christopher Wreh for his bravery in standing up to this horrible abuse and assisting the police investigation. 'Thanks to Christopher, this man will not have the privilege of going to football matches and that is an important result from this case, as racism doesn't belong in football stadiums or anywhere else in society.' The Football Banning Order means Dunbar, of John Bunyan Close, is banned from every football ground in the country and unable to travel abroad when international games are happening for a period of three years.
BreakingNews.ie
29 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Explained: What is Tattle Life? Why was the operator's identity revealed?
Website Tattle Life has been making headlines lately due to a high-profile court case in the North of Ireland. But what is the website? Why is it in the news? And why was the identity of the suspected operator revealed? Advertisement What is Tattle Life? Tattle Life is a gossip forum on which threads are started relating to a specific person. The threads often involve a public figure or celebrity, but also well-known community leaders. The website provides a platform for anonymous accounts to share their opinions on the person. Why is it in the news? Recently, there was a landmark legal victory secured against operator of Tattle Life. Advertisement Last week, the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland granted an application by an Irish couple to lift reporting restrictions and name the defendants in their successful defamation and harassment case against the suspected operator of Tattle Life, Sebastian Bond, after a two-year legal battle. The ruling was made in favour of Neil and Donna Sands who successfully claimed they had been subject to a campaign of harassment, invasion of privacy, defamation, and breach of data rights on the Tattle Life website, which attracts up to 12 million visitors monthly, mostly in the UK. Businesspeople Neil and Donna Sands were originally awarded £300,000 (€350,000) damages against the operators of Tattle Life in late 2023. On the website, Mr Justice McAlinden said: 'This is peddling untruths for profit. A site built to monetise people's misery." Advertisement Sebastian Bond After the ruling, the owners of Tattle Life can now legally be identified as UK national Sebastian Bond, who also uses the alias Bastian Durward, along with Yuzu Zest Limited (a UK registered company) and Kumquat Tree Limited (registered in Hong Kong). Sebastian Bond is known on the internet as a vegan cooking influencer and author of the book 'Nest and Glow'. The Nest and Glow Instagram account has 135,ooo followers. Neil and Donna Sands said they were motivated to undertake the action not just on their own behalf but for all those impacted by the site over the years. In making his award, Mr Justice McAlinden noted: 'A day of reckoning will come for those behind Tattle Life and for those individuals who posted on Tattle Life. Advertisement 'To hasten that day of reckoning, it is appropriate that the court makes an award of damages to each plaintiff in this case. 'It would be remiss of the court to award costs on any other basis than indemnity. And on the defendant's business model, he said: 'This is clearly a case of peddling untruths for profit. 'It is the exercise of extreme cynicism — the calculated exercise of extreme cynicism — which in reality constitutes behaviour solely aimed at making profit out of people's misery. Advertisement 'People facilitating this are making money out of it… protecting their income streams by protecting the identity of the individual posters.' Why did Neil and Donna Sands take it to court? Neil Sands first wrote to the website's operators in February 2021, asking them to remove the defamatory thread or face legal action. They then formally initiated proceedings in June 2023. The couple was subject to defamatory and harassing commentary over a 45-page thread that was only finally removed in May 2025. In December 2023, the High Court in the North granted the £300,000 damages award and ordered that legal costs be paid on an indemnity basis, with further costs and third-party compliance expenses raising the total to be injuncted to £1.8 million. The 'cessation' figure - the amount payable by the defendants to lift the freezing orders - now stands at £1,077,173.00. This is understood to be the largest damages award for defamation in Northern Ireland's legal history and includes extensive freezing orders against the identified defendants and their corporate interests, now subject to continuing enforcement and disclosure proceedings. Neil Sands said: 'We undertook this case not just for ourselves but for the many people who have suffered serious personal and professional harm through anonymous online attacks on this and other websites. 'We believe in free speech, but not consequence-free speech - particularly where it is intended to, and succeeds in, causing real-world damage to people's lives, livelihoods and mental health. "We were in the fortunate position to be able to take the fight to these faceless operators, and it took a lot of time, effort and expense. "Along the way we heard many stories from those damaged by the scurrilous commentary on the website and we are glad to be finally able to shine a light into this dark corner of the internet. What we have established today is that the internet is not an anonymous place."
Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Rayner's secret Islamophobia talks ‘risk new grooming gang cover-up'
Angela Rayner is accused of wanting to secretly drive through a definition of Islamophobia that could make it harder to discuss grooming gangs. The Deputy Prime Minister has appointed a working group to come up with a definition to be used across government. It is chaired by Dominic Grieve, the former Tory Cabinet minister, who has praised a 2019 study that called the discussion of 'grooming gangs' an example of 'anti-Muslim racism'. However, Claire Coutinho, a Conservative frontbencher, told The Telegraph she was concerned the process could be influenced by 'activists who have promoted extreme definitions of Islamophobia'. She has written to Ms Rayner accusing her of having the work carried out in secret, without the public being able to offer their views during a consultation period. And she pointed out that a ' culture of secrecy around matters relating to race and religion ' was a key factor enabling 'gangs of men to groom, rape, and torture young girls with impunity'. Critics have warned that some proposed definitions of Islamophobia would make it impossible for people to raise concerns about Asian grooming gangs. It comes after a report by Baroness Louise Casey found that hundreds of girls had suffered unimaginable sexual abuse, in part because some in authority had not tackled the issue out of fear of appearing racist. Ms Coutinho, the shadow minister for equalities, said was concerned the process would 'stifle free speech', and 'almost certainly would have prevented people from speaking out about the shocking abuse of young girls, disproportionately perpetrated by Pakistani Muslim men '. She told The Telegraph: 'The Casey report was crystal clear. For years, people were too scared to tell the truth about the rape and torture of children because they were scared of being called racist. 'Yet Labour is doubling down – pushing a secretive process including the voices of activists who have promoted extreme definitions of Islamophobia that would prevent people discussing genuine concerns around extremism and integration. 'Freedom of speech is not an optional extra in Britain. Angela Rayner must allow the general public to have their say on the definition of Islamophobia and make sure that no religions, belief systems, or people who hold a certain faith are beyond criticism.' The 2019 all-party parliamentary study on Islamophobia praised by Mr Grieve said: 'The recourse to the notion of free speech and a supposed right to criticise Islam results in nothing more than another subtle form of anti-Muslim racism, whereby the criticism humiliates, marginalises, and stigmatises Muslims. One real-life example of this concerns the issue of 'grooming gangs'.' Mr Grieve described the report at the time as 'well-researched' and 'an important contribution to the debate'. However, it was condemned by Kemi Badenoch, the equalities minister at the time, although the Labour Party adopted the definition and the examples referenced in the report. The working group includes Baroness Shaista Gohir, who in 2013 wrote a report arguing that the 'media coverage being given to British Pakistani offenders' was 'disproportionate', and that this was helping to 'fuel racism and Islamophobia'. She wrote: 'Right-wing populist groups have used this issue to fuel racism and Islamophobia, ignoring evidence that sexual exploitation occurs in every community and that the majority of offenders are white.' Another member, Akeela Ahmed, has called for the government to engage with the Muslim Council of Britain, despite alleged links to extremism. The new working group recently announced that although certain groups would be invited to respond to a consultation on any definition, the public would not be asked to do so. In her letter, Ms Coutinho said: 'This is unacceptable given the wide-ranging and serious implications that the definition will have on freedom of speech.' When the group comes up with its decision, it will be sent to Ms Rayner to sign off. The terms of reference state that the recommendations of the working group will not be published. Ms Coutinho continued: 'Surely in this, of all policy areas, the public deserve full transparency. 'A culture of secrecy around matters relating to race and religion – and self-censorship for fear of causing offence – was a key factor in what enabled gangs of men to groom, rape, and torture young girls with impunity. 'The Casey report has said, in no uncertain terms, that many examples were found of organisations avoiding the discussion of grooming gangs altogether 'for fear of appearing racist, raising community tensions or causing community cohesion problems'. 'For you to continue this work in secrecy, and without inviting views from the general public or wider society, would demonstrate that the Government has clearly not learnt the necessary lessons of the Casey report and the importance of transparency in maintaining public trust.' Those invited to take part in the consultation are asked for views on: what terminology to use, the need for a definition, whether racism should be a component of any new definition, what should be included within a definition, and examples of anti-Muslim hatred/Islamophobia. The warnings were backed by the Policy Exchange think tank, which claimed an official definition of Islamophobia could shut down vital debate on grooming gangs. The report urged the Government to suspend Mr Grieve's working group with immediate effect, pending the conclusion of the national inquiry into grooming gangs in three years' time. Sir John Jenkins, former ambassador to Saudi Arabia and co-author of the report, said any official definition of Islamophobia would 'almost certainly turbocharge ' cancel culture '' and would 'be an undeniable act of two-tier policy, creating special status and protection for members of one faith alone'. A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'We are absolutely committed to defending freedom of speech, and any proposed definition must be compatible with the right to freedom of speech and expression.
