Crime & Justice
Man jailed for 33 years for rape and murder of estranged wife after staging death as suicide
Synthesized from2 sources
Man jailed for 33 years for rape and murder of estranged wife after staging death as suicide
Michael Thompson, 56, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 33 years for raping and suffocating his estranged wife Kimberley and then staging her death to appear as suicide.
- Thompson raped and murdered Kimberley Thompson at their home between midnight and 3:30am on 9 August 2025.
- He staged the scene to make it look like suicide and posted messages on her social media before calling emergency services.
- Judge Nirmal Shant KC said Thompson showed "no remorse" and committed an "ultimate act of cowardice and contempt" by refusing to attend sentencing.
- The couple's daughter Athena told the court her father was a "jealous, conniving, narcissistic villain".
What happened since
Kimberley Thompson's killer sentenced to life for murder
Michael Thompson has been jailed for a minimum of 33 years for the rape and murder of his estranged wife Kimberley Thompson in Northampton.
- Michael Thompson, 56, was sentenced to life imprisonment at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday for killing Kimberley Thompson, 43, in the early hours of 9 August.
- Thompson subjected Kimberley to years of domestic abuse including controlling behaviour and physical violence before suffocating her at their home, the court heard.
- Kimberley's daughter Athena stated her mother was "the most loving, kind, thoughtful person" and that she had lost "the one person I knew I could always rely on."
- Kimberley's sister Dionne said the family will "never get over the loss and pain caused by this selfish act."
Coverage
Read the original reportingThis brief was compiled from 2 outlets, over 1 hours of coverage. Each is listed below with the headline it led on, so you can compare them yourself.
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