Michael Thompson: Kimberley Bounds’ murderer and rapist to serve life in prison with minimum term of 33 years
A 56-year-old Northampton man, who was found guilty of murdering and raping his estranged wife Kimberley Bounds in their family home has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 33 years.
Michael Thompson, of Pinewood Road, was found guilty on July 8 of all four charges against him after standing trial for six weeks at Nottingham Crown Court.
As well as the rape and murder of his estranged wife 43-year-old Kim, he was also found guilty of two charges of committing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice following jury deliberations of 11 hours and 38 minutes.
Count three referred to the allegations that Thompson manufactured communication from Kim suggesting they were married and instigating sexual intercourse.
Count four referred to the allegations that Thompson manufactured messages from Kim suggesting she had drank too much and placed photographs, bottles that contained alcohol and empty pill packets at her bedside to make it look like her death was a suicide.
HHJ Shant KC sentenced Thompson at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday July 14 and passed a custodial sentence of a minimum of 33 years.
Thompson was given 31 years for murder and two years for perverting the course of public justice.
A further ten years for rape and two years for the second count of perverting the course of public justice was given, each to be served concurrently.
The sentence went ahead in Thompson’s absence as he voluntarily chose not to take to the dock.
Years of domestic abuse, coercive behaviour and physical violence
Throughout the course of Thompson’s six-week trial, the jury heard how he had subjected Kim to years of domestic abuse, including controlling and coercive behaviour and physical violence – but Kim had plans to move on without him following their divorce, which was nearing completion.
Kim and her murderer, who were married for 19 years, had been separated for two years in the lead up to her death but remained living under the same roof in different bedrooms.
It was some time between midnight and 3.30am on August 9 2025 when Thompson went into Kim’s bedroom, raped and suffocated her.
The jury found him guilty of spending time staging Kim’s bedroom to make it look as though she had died by suicide, and posted messages on her social media accounts before calling East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) for help at 5.30am.
Thompson was quick to paint a picture to paramedics and police officers of Kim taking her own life. This began when he was hysterically crying on the phone to EMAS and pretended to do CPR. The first paramedic to arrive at the scene saw no signs that CPR had been carried out, which he told the court in evidence during the trial.
In the aftermath of Kim’s death, family and friends shared their disbelief that Kim had taken her own life, as she had been making plans for the future. Many sat through the duration of the trial, and Thompson’s sentencing today.
A formal murder investigation was launched on August 12 last year and that is when Thompson was arrested on suspicion of Kim’s death. Emma Cornell, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Michael Thompson subjected his estranged wife to sustained abuse before raping and murdering her, then attempted to conceal his crimes by staging the scene to look like a suicide.
“The evidence presented at trial exposed his cowardice and lies - and demonstrated an abhorrent pattern of controlling and coercive behaviour that culminated in this devastating loss of life.
“Our thoughts today are with Kimberley Thompson’s family and loved ones and we hope this conviction and sentence provide some measure of justice for them.”