Michael Thompson: Friend tells jury of Kim’s injuries to arm, eyes, nose, jaw and ankle
A friend of Kimberley Thompson’s told the jury of injuries to her arm, eyes, nose, jaw and ankle, which the 43-year-old said were down to basketball, falling or tripping.
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.
A friend of Kim’s gave evidence at court on Tuesday June 3 – telling the jury she knew someone who suffers with mental health issues that affects their behaviour, which the witness likened to the behaviour of Thompson. The woman told the jury that they were verbally abusive, whereas Kim had told her Thompson’s behaviour was more physical than mental.
The court heard that the witness could not pinpoint any event in which Kim told her Thompson had done anything physical nor recall any injuries as a result.
However, when asked if she had seen Kim with injuries, the witness said one of Kim’s arms was badly bruised and she struggled to bend it – as well as bruised eyes, bruised nose, swollen ankle and painful jaw.
When she asked Kim how she got the injuries, she said it was basketball for her jaw, nose and eyes, falling down the stairs for her arm, and tripping over for her ankle.
The court heard that Thompson did not like some of the food she bought for the family and would throw it away as he did not think it was appropriate.
When asked what Kim’s state of mind was like, as far as she could tell, in the last few months of her life, the witness said she was “very happy” and “a lot more bright”. She was thinking about things she wanted to do in the future, which did not involve Thompson.
‘Kim was my friend’
The woman was cross-examined by Mr Hankin KC, who brought up that Kim had told her Thompson was more physical than verbal – yet the witness said Kim had never told her of specific occasions when the defendant had hit or hurt her.
In the woman’s witness statement, she referred to three specific injuries – broken fingers, limping because of her foot and an injury to her arm. Mr Hankin KC asked why she added injuries to the eyes, face, jaw and nose and had not mentioned these to the police.
The witness told the court she gave the statement a couple of weeks after losing Kim on August 26, 2025 and that she is sure Mr Hankin KC could appreciate it was a “very difficult” situation to be in having lost a friend.
She said the injuries mentioned in her statement were “the most prominent” she ever saw and when questioned further, she said the reasons given for these injuries were “more plausible”. She agreed she did not believe the reasons Kim gave as to how she got the injuries, but did not know how she got them because she was not there.
The trial continues.
Take a look at the Chronicle & Echo’s ongoing coverage of this trial here…