Michael Thompson: Court heard final messages between alleged murder victim and new partner ended ‘miss you’
The court heard that the final messages exchanged between Kimberley Thompson and her new partner ended “miss you” in the hours before her alleged murder.
Kimberley’s ex-partner Michael Thompson, aged 55, of Pinewood Road, pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of the 43-year-old – 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.
In the latest evidence, the court heard that Kim met her new partner Nathan Syrett through basketball and the pair started getting to know each other through Facebook. They spoke everyday from when they started chatting and eventually swapped numbers to converse over WhatsApp.
As Nathan is from Colchester, they would sometimes meet halfway but Kim would mainly travel to visit him – and Nathan was aware of her set up and living situation with Thompson.
Nathan confirmed that he knew Thompson was aware of his and Kim’s relationship and the pair were trying to keep it from him, as the 43-year-old was worried about what Thompson would say or do.
The jury heard a lot of messages exchanged between Kim and Nathan, in which they questioned whether Thompson still wanted to be with Kim and what he wanted with her by checking her phone.
There was also reference to Thompson having “touched, hit or grabbed” Kim before, and how what had happened affected how “safe” Kim felt in her previous relationship with him. Kim believed the ongoing situation was “all just another game”.
Miss Moore KC from the prosecution counsel played a voice note that Kim had sent to Nathan, explaining she had never met up with anybody apart from him since Thompson said he wanted a divorce.
Kim explained that she likes being “connected to somebody” and the feeling of being loved, whether that is by a partner or friends, and that she had exchanged flirty messages with other men.
The court heard Thompson believed Kim needed a “constant supply”, which refers to sex, and she did not like the feeling of being told that as it made her question herself.
In Nathan’s response to the voice note, he told Kim that Thompson is “winning because it’s working” and that he did not think any less of her because she simply messaged people. He thought Kim believed she was “the worst person in the world” and reassured her that she was “far from it”.
The court heard that Kim went on late night walks and left the house to talk to Nathan over the phone, as she was worried she would be overheard or recorded by Thompson at home. The last messages exchanged between the pair ended at 12.03am on August 9, 2025, and both said they missed each other.
‘You don’t know what’s coming to you’
Nathan was cross-examined by Mr Hankin KC from the defence counsel, who referred to evidence when Nathan said Kim would be upset, crying and telling him things that Thompson had said to her.
This included the use of the phrase “you don’t know what’s coming to you”, alleged to have been said by Thompson to Kim. Nathan was asked to confirm if he believes this refers to Kim’s flirty messages being shared on social media by Thompson, including with a married man.
The trial continues.
Take a look at the Chronicle & Echo’s ongoing coverage of this trial here…