Man who raped and murdered his estranged wife and tried to make it look like suicide jailed

A man who raped and murdered his estranged wife before staging a scene to make it look like she had taken her own life has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum 33 years.

A seven-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court heard how Michael Thompson, 56, had subjected 43-year-old Kimberley Thompson, his wife of 19 years with whom he had two children, to years of domestic abuse, including controlling, coercive behaviour, and physical violence.

The prosecution said he monitored what she "did, ate, where she went and who she was with". He also made hundreds of hours of recordings of her before he killed her.

They had been separated for two years, but still lived at the same Northampton address using different bedrooms, and jurors were told that Ms Thompson had a new boyfriend and was planning to move out as their divorce was finalised.

The court heard how Thompson went into her bedroom in the early hours of 9 August last year, and raped and suffocated her. He then staged the scene to make it look like she had taken her own life.

He claimed they had consensual sex before he later found Ms Thompson lifeless and surrounded by tablets and bottles of alcohol.

Ms Thompson's post-mortem examination found no evidence of any alcohol and only low levels of caffeine, paracetamol and codeine in her body, the court was told.

Her family and friends also said she would not have taken her own life because she was "cheerful" and making plans, including arrangements to visit her daughter at college in the US.

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

Killer refuses to attend sentencing

Thompson was not present for his sentencing hearing on Tuesday. His defence barrister Jonas Hankin KC told the court he was "voluntarily absent".

Jailing Thompson in front of a packed public gallery, Judge Nirmal Shant KC said he had made a "concerted attempt to conceal" what he had done, and "set about creating a false scene to fool the police".

"You were literally trying to get away with murder," she said.

"You have shown no remorse," she continued.

"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."

'Pathetic, unloved man'

Ms Thompson's daughter Athena appeared via video-link from the US and told the court her father was a "jealous, conniving, narcissistic villain" and a "pathetic, unloved man".

Addressing him in her statement, she said: "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."

She added: "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."

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

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Speaking outside court after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison 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."

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