NORTHAMPTON MAN IN COURT ON SERIOUS CHARGES AFTER WOMAN'S DEATH
A man has appeared in court charged with rape and murder after a woman was found dead at a house in Northampton.Officers discovered Kimberley Thompson, 43, in Pinewood Road on 9 August.
Michael Thompson, 55, of Pinewood Road, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, confirming his details.
The case was adjourned to a future date.
Ms Thompson's family issued a statement via police, thanking people for their condolences and requesting privacy during their grief.
Subsequently, a 56-year-old man, Michael Thompson, was found guilty of raping and murdering his estranged wife, Kimberley Thompson, following a six-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
The jury unanimously convicted him of the murder and two counts of perverting the course of justice.
The couple, married for 19 years and separated for two years but still living in the same house, had a troubled history.
Prosecutors stated Thompson raped and suffocated Kimberley between midnight and 03:30 BST on 9 August.
He then staged her bedroom to look like she had died by suicide, claiming he found her unresponsive after she consumed alcohol and tablets.
However, a post-mortem revealed no alcohol in her system and only low levels of caffeine, paracetamol, and codeine.
Thompson's social media posts and his contact with ambulance services raised suspicion, and Kimberley's family and friends expressed doubts about suicide, citing domestic abuse and manipulation throughout their relationship.
Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison noted the history of coercive control and violence against Kimberley.
Thompson was also convicted of two counts of perverting the course of justice.
He is due to be sentenced next week.
