Michael Thompson: Alleged murder victim’s school friend says Kim went from ‘full of life’ to ‘skinny and frail’
A school friend said alleged murder victim Kimberley Thompson went from “full of life” to “very skinny and frail-looking”, the jury were told.
Fifty-five-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.
The latest witness to give evidence, Danielle Harrison, went to school with Kim in the 1990s and they stayed in touch ever since, including when Danielle relocated to Australia in 2015.
Miss Moore KC from the prosecution asked Danielle how Kim appeared in relation to Thompson when they first met. Danielle said they were “very happy” and seemed to really like each other.
When asked how she would describe Kim as a person back then, Danielle told the court: “Back then she was full of life, full of adventure, loved her friends, loved her family. She was strong, she wasn’t scared of things. She had a big heart and a lot of love to give.”
The court heard that during Kim’s hen weekend in Liverpool in 2006, the alleged murder victim spoke about having second thoughts about going through with the wedding.
Danielle put this down to “wedding nerves” and told the court that a lot of money had been spent on the wedding, which Kim was going to go ahead with even though she was not sure.
Danielle spent more time with Kim after she had her first child in 2008 and she was asked if she noticed anything about Kim’s appearance. Danielle described Kim as “very skinny and frail-looking”.
The court heard that Danielle was told that Thompson had an affair with a mutual person where he and Kim worked, which he would “flaunt”. Kim was “extremely hurt” and “struggled to talk about it”.
Danielle recalled weight loss around the time that Kim had her first child and that she stayed “very frail” up until Danielle left for Australia in 2015.
When asked if she considered helping Kim leave Thompson, Danielle said: “We begged her to report it.” Friends wanted Kim to go to the police but she feared nothing would come of it and it would make things worse at home.
The court heard that “plan B” was a refuge as Thompson told Kim if she ever left him, he would “kill her” and “be able to get away with it” but Kim was that scared to go to a refuge that she thought she would have to change her names and go away.
Danielle told the court that Kim never went to the refuge because she believed Thompson would “go for her mum and sister” to get her to come out of hiding. The next plan was to start putting money away in a separate bank account that Thompson did not know existed.
Danielle did not find out until “later on” that Kim had met somebody else and she told the court that after Thompson found out about the affair through a text message on her phone, he allegedly raped Kim “violently”.
The court heard that Kim was “extremely upset” and "embarrassed" about what had happened, as well as in pain and too scared to go to the police. Danielle recalled that Kim said if anything were to happen to her, “please know it was him”.
Danielle said “sex had become a weapon” and a “way of punishment” after Kim’s affair. Kim was “bending over backwards to keep the peace at home” and tried not to do anything wrong or step out of line, the court heard.
Danielle became tearful when telling the jury that contact lessened between Kim and her when she moved to Australia, as Kim believed her phone was being tracked.
‘My mind changed’
Mr Hankin KC from the defence counsel cross-examined Danielle, referring to her comments that Kim had become thin and frail-looking in around 2008. In Danielle’s witness statement, she put this down to the influence of a family member with an eating disorder.
When re-questioned by Miss Moore KC from the prosecution, Danielle told the court her “mind changed” on why Kim lost so much weight. The more Kim disclosed, Danielle concluded it was through stress that she was not eating.
While being cross-examined, Danielle also confirmed she was not aware the relationship between Thompson and another woman had developed at a time when he and Kim were separated – and that Kim’s affair came first.
The evidence concluded when Danielle told the court that Kim had tried to rebuild the relationship with Thompson to make it easier, which referred to the punishments she would receive and how she wanted it to stop. Danielle says Kim could see the “hatred and anger” that her affair had caused in Thompson.
The trial continues.
Take a look at the Chronicle & Echo’s ongoing coverage of this trial here…