Michael Thompson, 56, has been found guilty of the rape and murder of his estranged wife Kimberley Thompson, and of staging a scene to make her death appear as a suicide. The verdict was delivered by a jury at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday after four days of deliberation.
Details of the Crime
The court heard that Thompson, of Pinewood Road, Northampton, suffocated the 43-year-old mother of two in the early hours of August 9 last year. He then arranged empty tablet packets and alcohol bottles around her body to suggest suicide. Prosecutors said Thompson had made hundreds of hours of recordings of his wife and was in the process of divorcing her.
Thompson opted not to give evidence, but told police he found his wife lifeless. However, a post-mortem examination found no alcohol and only low levels of caffeine, paracetamol, and codeine in her body. Prosecution KC Miranda Moore said Thompson also manufactured messages from his wife suggesting she was drunk.
Controlling Behavior
The trial revealed that Thompson was controlling and abusive. He monitored what his wife “did, ate, where she went and who she was with,” the court heard. On the night of the murder, Thompson had been watching sexual videos of his ex, “stewing” about her new boyfriend and the divorce settlement of about £65,000 she had requested.
Jurors were not told that Thompson’s former partner, Rhonda Anderson, died in suspicious circumstances in July 2000. An inquest ruled her death accidental, but a fresh murder inquiry was launched after Kimberley’s death. Police confirmed the inquiry into Anderson’s death has been closed due to insufficient evidence.
Police Statement
Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison said: “Early in our investigation into Kim’s death we were told of the death of Michael Thompson’s former partner Rhonda Anderson, 29, who died in July 2000. … This work has now concluded, and it has been determined there is insufficient evidence to take the investigation further, with no further action being taken against Michael Thompson.”
Harrison added: “I hope today provides Kim’s family and friends with some comfort. It became clear throughout our investigation that Kim had been subjected to domestic abuse for much of her relationship with Thompson, with manipulation, coercive control, and physical violence the norm.”
Thompson will be sentenced next week.
