‘Evil’ husband who tried to stage wife’s murder as ‘suicide’ is jailed for life

A husband who raped and murdered his wife then tried to cover it up as a suicide was branded a ‘coward’ for refusing to face her family and friends as he was jailed for life.

Michael Thompson, 56, subjected Kimberley Thompson to years of domestic abuse and controlling behavior before he killed her at their Northampton home in the early hours of August 9 last year.

Their daughter, Athena, told Nottingham Crown Court Thompson is a ‘jealous, conniving, narcissistic villain’ who ‘couldn’t stand the fact [her mum] had so many people who cared about her’.

Jurors returning to watch the sentencing hearing wiped away tears as she read her statement via video-link from the US, saying: ‘How could you do such an evil, selfish, malicious thing? How could you murder the mother of your own children?

‘You couldn’t stand the fact she had so many people who cared about her. No amount of years rotting in prison will ever amount to what you deserve, because you deserve no life.

‘You are a pathetic, unloved man.

‘The day you killed my mother, you killed me too. I feel I will never be happy again.

‘I have no respect for you, I have no love for you. You were meant to be my dad, how could you do this to your daughter?

‘A dad is supposed to protect their daughter from pain, instead you caused the worst pain of my life.

‘I will not let you defeat me, I will show up for her, my mum, and I will continue to make her proud.’

After smothering Kim, Thompson went room to room gathering photos, packets of tablets and bottles of alcohol to ‘manufacture’ evidence of suicide before claiming he woke to find her dead.

But close friends and family described Kim as being the ‘happiest’ they had seen her in years, financially independent and ready to move out and move on with a new boyfriend.

A post-mortem examination found no evidence of any alcohol and only low levels of caffeine, paracetamol and codeine in her body.

When ending her own life was all but ruled out as a possibility, Thompson tried to suggest Kim could have died from an unknown cause that left no trace.

But he declined to give evidence and instead huffed and shook his head as the evidence against him was laid out for the jury.

He was unanimously found guilty last week of murder, rape and two counts of perverting the course of justice.

Judge Nirmal Shant KC jailed him for life at Nottingham Crown Court, ordering him to serve a minimum term of 33 years before he can apply for parole.

Addressing the empty dock, she said: ‘You have shown no remorse. Throughout the course of the trial you sat in the dock shaking your head and making audible noises of dissent.

‘And in the ultimate act of cowardice and contempt, you have refused to come into court to hear from the family of the grief you have caused.’

The judge said she would make sure a bundle of all the victim impact statements and her sentencing remarks would be sent to Thompson so he could ‘read of the devastation you have wreaked’.

Athena said: ‘Around 3-4% of children lose a parent before they reach 18, I am part of that percentage, however, around 0.0004% of children, lose their mother due to their father murdering them, I am now also part of that percentage.

‘I don’t want people to know my mother as only a victim. I want everyone to know she was the most loving, kind, thoughtful person to ever exist, and without a doubt the best mother a daughter could ask for.

‘My mum was my best friend, she was meant to be constant in every part of my life, and I was supposed to make countless more memories with her.

‘I’ve lost the one person I knew I could always rely on, the one person who filled me with happiness effortlessly, even though my mum was someone who always put effort into everything she did.

‘My life was the best because she was in it, and my mum did everything she possibly could just to see me smile. She was my rock, just as I was hers.

‘Losing my mother in such a violent and senseless way has completely shattered and destroyed my world. At an age where I should be focusing on my future, I am battling constant grief and a profound feeling of abandonment.

‘I thought good people got good things, but this case proves that even the most dedicated, compassionate, warm-hearted people do not get what they deserve.

‘My mum deserved more than I can even put into words. She did not deserve to have her life stripped from her, by a viIe, nefarious, toxic person.

‘I’ve had to watch all my friends, and all my teammates spend time with their mum, post about their mum, make memories with their mum, call their mum, listen to people share stories about their mum, whilst I can’t even mention mine without bursting into tears.

‘All I want is my mum. I want to hug her and tell her how much I love her.’

Dionne, Kim’s sister said: ‘I want the whole world to know that Kim really was the bravest, most selfless, precious and wonderful person and she will never, ever be forgotten. Finally, you have the justice you deserve Kim. I love you and will keep your memory alive. May you now be left to rest in peace. Until we meet again.’

Her other sister, Amanda, added: ‘Kim loved her children more than words can say. One of the most devastating aspects of Kim’s death is the impact it has had on her children. Not only have they lost their Mum, they have also lost the stability and security that every child deserves. They are now having to navigate their childhood and future without the love, guidance, support and reassurance of their mother.

‘I no longer have the chance to speak with her, visit her, share family events or create memories together. The knowledge that these opportunities have been taken away is deeply upsetting.’

The trial heard Kim was in the ‘most unhappy of marriages’ to Thompson but had a new boyfriend and was moving on with her life.

She was planning to move out and had asked for around £65,000 as part of their divorce.

The court heard Kim told friends, family and her work colleagues that she suffered physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband.

In addition to the physical and verbal attacks, Kim was being ‘monitored, spied on and controlled’.

Kim had to print off her work itinerary so Thompson knew where – and why – she was going away.

Thompson also told her which of her friends were ‘good for her’, went through her phone and messaged men he assumed she was seeing, told her how to dress, checked her shopping receipts, and quizzed her about her underwear.

The court heard he even turned up unannounced at a play date Kim was attending at another mum’s home and went through the house ‘room by room, cupboard by cupboard’ looking for a man he thought was there.

One witness told jurors Kim said she felt Thompson might kill her and ‘do it in a way that he hoped he could get away with’.

Jurors were not told detectives had opened a murder investigation into the death of Thompson’s former partner, Rhonda Anderson, who was electrocuted by a radio falling in her bath in 2000.

The inquiry was closed due to insufficient evidence and a coroner ruled Rhonda’s death accidental, but prosecutors wanted to tell the jury that Thompson used it to ‘threaten and intimidate’ Kim.

A witness said Kim tried to leave Thompson, who told her, ‘You know what happened to the last person that tried to do this to me’, the court heard.

On the night of the murder, Thompson had been in his room watching sexual videos of Kim, ‘stewing’ about the fact she was planning to move on with someone else and £65,000 from their divorce.

After he called 999 at about 5.40am, paramedics found Kim with an injury to her mouth and surrounded by empty pill packets, bottles of vodka and gin and photographs of her and Thompson and another of her sister, who had taken her own life a decade before.

Ms Moore told the jury posts that Ms Thompson shared on Facebook and Snapchat in the early hours of that morning that she had ‘drank too much’ raised suspicion among her friends and family because it had a spelling error and was not written the way she would write it.

They claimed she would not have taken her own life because she was ‘cheerful’, making plans, messaging family members and arranging flights so she could go and see her daughter at college in the US.

Judge Shant said Thompson had made a ‘concerted attempt to conceal’ what he had done, and ‘set about creating a false scene to fool the police’.

She said: ‘You were literally trying to get away with murder. Your deception continued when you called the emergency services.

‘The evidence makes it clear you pretended to do CPR and you feigned distress on the phone to the emergency services.’

The judge said Kim was ‘on the eve of a new start’ and had previously been a ‘happy, bubbly and lively person’ when they first married.

She said: ‘You had two, beautiful, accomplished children. By killing her, you deprived your own children of their mother.

‘You also took her from her family, friends and colleagues – a woman who was accomplished, valued and loved.’

She added: ‘She adored her children and she adored the fact she was about to start a new life.

‘You deprived her of that. You deprived your children of a mother, you deprived others of a sister and a friend.’

Speaking outside court after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison said the abuse faced by Kim was ‘horrific’.

She said: ‘Today’s hearing comes almost a year since Kim’s life was so violently taken from her and follows almost two decades of domestic abuse.

‘The last year has been unbearable for Kim’s family and friends, and I want to pay tribute to them and the grace they have shown throughout our investigation and particularly over the last six weeks.

‘The level of abuse Kim was subjected to was horrific, and I want to take this opportunity to say to anyone who may be living a similar life that help is available.’