A UK man has been found guilty of raping and killing his estranged wife after a six-week trial, with jurors returning unanimous verdicts at Nottingham Crown Court, BBC reported.Michael Thompson, 56, was convicted of murdering and raping Kimberley Thompson, 43, who died at the home they still shared on Pinewood Road in August last year. The court heard the couple had ended their relationship two years earlier after nearly two decades of marriage but continued living under the same roof. Prosecutors said tensions had escalated after Kimberley began a new relationship and sought about £65,000 as part of divorce proceedings. The prosecution told jurors that Kimberley was attacked and suffocated during the early hours of August 9. Thompson then attempted to disguise the killing as a suicide, claiming he discovered her unconscious after she had taken alcohol and medication.Medical evidence contradicted that account. A post-mortem examination found no alcohol in her body and only small traces of common medications.Jurors also heard that Thompson used his wife’s social media accounts after her death and contacted emergency services later that morning.Concerns raised by Kimberley’s relatives and friends, who rejected the suggestion she had taken her own life, led police to investigate the case as a homicide. They described a pattern of controlling and abusive behaviour during the relationship.Detective Chief Inspector Torie Harrison said cited by BBC the investigation revealed Kimberley had endured prolonged abuse. “I hope today provides Kim’s family and friends with some comfort,” she said, noting that those close to her had seen signs she was beginning to rebuild her life after the separation.
UK man who staged estranged wife's murder as suicide found guilty of rape, killing
