Man found guilty of raping and murdering his wife

A 56-year-old man has been found guilty of raping and murdering his estranged wife following a six-week trial.

The jury unanimously convicted Michael Thompson of the rape and murder of Kimberley Thompson, 43, who was killed at the couple's home in Pinewood Road, Northampton, last August.

He was also found guilty at Nottingham Crown Court of two counts of perverting the course of justice.

The court heard the couple had been married for 19 years but had been separated for two years while continuing to live in the same house.

Jurors were told Thompson was aware his wife had started a new relationship and was planning to move out, and she had requested about £65,000 as part of a divorce settlement.

Prosecutors said Thompson raped and suffocated Kimberley sometime between midnight and 03:30 BST on 9 August.

The court heard he then staged the bedroom to make it appear she had died by suicide, telling police he had found her unresponsive after she had consumed alcohol and tablets.

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

Thompson posted messages on her social media accounts and contacted East Midlands Ambulance Service at about 05:30 BST.

Kimberley's family and friends told police they did not believe she had taken her own life, and they described a history of domestic abuse, leading detectives to launch a murder investigation.

Det Ch Insp Torie Harrison, from Northamptonshire Police, said: "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.

"Over the years, Thompson stripped Kim's confidence away but in the time since their separation, friends and family began to see the old Kim re-emerging with a renewed enthusiasm for life."

Thompson is due to be sentenced next week.

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