Michael Thompson: Alleged murder victim treated as ‘tarnished’ and ‘begged’ defendant to see the change in her in late 2023
The court heard messages and voice notes exchanged between the alleged murder victim and defendant, when Kimberley Thompson said she was treated as “tarnished” and begged him to see the change in her in late 2023.
55-year-old Michael Thompson, of Pinewood Road, pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of 43-year-old Kimberley Thompson – who was found dead at a home in Pinewood Road on August 9, 2025.
Thompson appeared at Northampton Crown Court on December 16, 2025 when he also pleaded not guilty to two additional charges of committing an act with intent to pervert the course of public justice.
The trial, which is being held at Nottingham Crown Court, is expected to last around six weeks and the jury members were sworn in on Thursday May 21 ahead of the prosecution opening on Tuesday May 26.
As part of the schedule of events on Thursday June 11, which the prosecution shares with the jury as they begin to round off their case, messages and voice notes are read out and listened to in chronological order.
The court heard that Thompson had two devices, referred to as his “everyday phone” and “recording” phone. Thompson would film going through Kim’s phone to have a record on one of his devices, as well as covertly recording what was going on in the house and Kim’s car.
A photo of a post-it note, first captured in 2023 and accessed two days before the last time when Kim was seen alive by anybody, was shared with the court. It read “who cares if I went” with a list of family members, “who do I make a difference to, who do I let down?”.
In a message sent from Kim to Thompson three days after that post-it note was first photographed in 2023, the alleged murder victim said she knew she needed to “leave and get out as soon as possible” as the longer she stayed the harder it got.
The court heard that she said she accepted what she had done and needed to walk away, and told Thompson “I know you deserve better than me”.
In another voice note, Kim explained it was a “really hard environment”.
The court heard her say that no matter what she did everyday, she could not draw the line and the only way she knew how was to keep herself to herself. She said she needed to accept if someone does not want her in their life in the same way she wanted them in hers.
“You are being very clear in that you don’t want anything with me anymore,” the court heard in the voice note.
Kim expressed that she really wanted to be able to show Thompson but for him it was just too late. She acknowledged she caused the damage and “it’s been done”. The court heard Kim was struggling to give up hope.
Later on the same day, which was November 21, 2023, Kim expressed to Thompson that she did not think it was helping her being around him, and she wanted to compose herself and be strong for the children.
Less than a month later on December 11, 2023, Kim and Thompson were exchanging WhatsApp messages and plans for Christmas were discussed. The defendant refused to “reward” Kim for her “marriage-destroying behaviour”, which he said included “lies”, “cheating”, “promiscuous behaviour” and “hoarding”.
Just shy of an hour later, Kim responded to Thompson’s point that he hoped she got help. “I have done that,” said Kim. She used the phrase “begging you” twice, as she wanted the defendant to give the chance to see she had changed.
In a voice note from Kim to Thompson on Christmas Eve 2023, the alleged murder victim said she accepted that what she did caused where they were. She acknowledged that she “tarnished” the relationship and how Thompson sees her, and expressed that he treated her as someone who is “tarnished”.
The court also heard that Kim said her ways, specifically hoarding, added on to “what you didn’t like about me anyway”. Kim told Thompson she loved him but he will never love her, which is why she needed to stop and leave him alone so he could get on with his life and be happy. She said she was “derailing” the defendant and “bringing [him] down”.
The trial continues.
Take a look at the Chronicle & Echo’s ongoing coverage of this trial here…