Michael Thompson, 55, is accused of raping and murdering his wife Kimberley, 43, and then staging a scene to make her death appear as a suicide or tragic accident, according to court proceedings reported by the source. Thompson called 999, claiming he found his wife in bed with empty tablet packets and a bottle of vodka, unable to rouse her. But a post-mortem examination showed no alcohol and only low levels of common painkillers, and a pathologist concluded Kimberley was smothered — dying from external airway obstruction.

The 999 call that betrayed a calculated performancce

Jurors heard the recording of Thompson's emergency call, in which he told the operator he had seen his wife in bed with tablets and vodka and needed an ambulance, as the source reported. First responders at the scene were “entirely taken in by his charade,” the court heard . A police sergeant who attended the property was recorded comforting Thompson, who sat on the floor in a T-shirt and boxer shorts, while Kimberley's body was blurred out in the downstairs bedroom. The officer later told Thompson, “there is nothing you could have done in that respect,” after Thompson referenced a 2023 comment about Kimberley being “in any way suicidal.”

Four years of abuse and a divorce that never separated them

The court was told that Kimberley had confided in friends about “physical, emotional abuse and controlling behaviour by Mr Thompson” dating back to 2014. The couple were in the midst of divorce proceedings but continued to live under the same roof, sleeping in separate bedrooms , according to the source. In the months before her death, Thompson had been spying on his wife, tracking her movements, and reading her messages. The prosecutor said Kimberley had a new boyfriend and was “moving on with her life,” a detail that underscores the escalating control and jealousy that preceded the attack.

The post-mortem findings that shattered the staged scene

Thompson maintained for three days after Kimberley's death that she had died from drink and excess drugs, the court heard. However, a post-mortem examination found no trace of alcohol and only low levels of caffeine, paracetamol, and codeine — ingredients consistent with a common painkiller, co-codamol. The pathologist concluded that Kimberley died from external airway obstruction , meaning she was smothered. Forensic evidence also indicated that Kimberley did not vomit, contradicting Thompson's claim to police that he had turned her over and seen vomit.

What the court hasn't revealed about the three-day gap and the 2023 comment

Several questions remain unanswered from the source's reporting. Thompson was arrested three days after Kimberley's death — a delay that leaves open whether further evidence emerged or if he was under surveillance. The court also heard Thompson tell police that Kimberley “used to be” suicidal in 2023 but that he “didn't act on it.” No details have been provided about what, if any, mental health history or prior suicide attempts existed, nor whether any medical records were presented. The identity of Kimberley's new boyfriend and what testimony he might offer also remains unknown. These gaps leave the full picture of the relationship and the events leading to the murder still incomplete.