One of Britain’s most wealthy men was murdered by an aspiring painter. The notes were sent to friends in voicemails, with the claim that he “had never worked a day in my life” because of his wealth. A court heard this today.
Thomas Schreiber of Gillingham in Dorset is currently on trial at Winchester Crown Court for the murder of Sir Richard Sutton, 83, and attempted murder of Anne Schreiber on April 7, 2021.
In voice notes allegedly sent by Schreiber to a friend in March this year, he can be heard describing Sir Richard, his mother’s partner as ‘horribly racist, horribly backwards’ and Mrs Schreiber as a ‘gold digging f****** b****’.
He has previously confessed to the murder of Sir Richard, his mother’s husband. The 35-year old also pleaded guilty for driving Range Rovers dangerously on A303, A4 or M3.
Schreiber however told Winchester Crown Court today that he was ‘a peaceful man’ who had simply wanted to ‘hug her, not hurt her’, referring to his mother, Anne.
Thomas Schreiber is a defendant at Winchester Crown Court. He’s accused of killing Sir Richard Sutton (83 years old) and trying to murder Anne Schreiber (pictured below with Thomas).
Sir Richard (pictured), an elderly baronet, was one of the victims in the April knife attack.
He then “snapped” in an “uncontrollable blast of violence,” when his mother compared him to his late father, an alcoholic, who had also died eight years earlier.
Sir Richard, a hotelier, had a knife plunged five inches into his heart while Mrs Schreiber, 66, was stabbed so many times during the ‘vicious assault’ at Sir Richard’s £2m country mansion that she was left paralysed from the neck down and breathing through a ventilator.
The estate of Moorhill, in Higher Langham close to Gillingham, Dorset was left bloody and looked like an ‘warzone.
Following months of anger at the treatment of Schreiber’s father David, after which Anne Schreiber divorced him from Richard, Sir Richard was killed in an attack.
In the courtroom, jurors heard a number of recordings in which Schreiber spoke out about Schreiber’s mother and partner.
Schreiber wrote a voicemail to Josh Adamson in November 2020 to let him know that he heard about his situation. [Sir Richard]He was calling me on the telephone and was complaining about my inability to do work.
Police guard Sir Richard’s £2million property in the Dorset hamlet of Higher Langham in April
“Which I think is completely absurd, I just explained to him how my neuro-diverse brain makes it less possible to do all things but more difficult to do certain things.
“He was just slapping me off and slaagging me off to my daughter… The irony is that he has never had a job, inherited everything, his daughter’s not worked …. It’s all very poisonous and it’s extremely hateful and terrible.
In March 2021 he messaged a friend known only as Fedor: ‘The short story is, my mum is a gold digging f*****g b****, she is a selfish, manipulative, toxic, gold digging b****.
‘We moved here 17 year ago. This huge house with our partner… She’s just there to cook for him, and take his cash.
“He is a multi-millionaire. He hasn’t had to work one day. He inherited all his property and all the land in the entire world. He’s an absolute c***.
“He is old-fashioned. He believes art and creativity aren’t work.
“He is horribly racist, backwards and horribly English. He is a racist, sexist, old-fashioned and he doesn’t deserve my support.
Sir Richard Sutton, shown with Lady Sutton (and their children Caroline and David),
Schreiber ended the note by saying that he may however be ‘a bit of a hypocrite’ because he was dependent upon Sir Richard’s money.
He said that today at Winchester Crown Court in Hants, Schreiber was “on edge but happy” after consuming two to three double gin-and-tonics. Although it was a significant day for him, he didn’t see it as one for Richard or mum, which made him nervous.
After showing Sir Richard pictures of his father from a Lincolnshire shoot, he said that he had’snapped’ his mother who said that he was “drunk like your father”.
Schreiber stated to jurors that he believed he said the following: [to his mother]”Hello. How was your day?” Then I remembered suggesting [having a toast to his father].
‘She didn’t even… She probably ignored the question, and she said “you’re drunk. You’re just as drunk as your father.” Very high pitch… This was an instant remark.
“It was like I went insane. It’s almost like she snapped. So, I launched at her and began attacking her in uncontrollable ways.”
It was absurd, he claimed, that he had wanted to murder his mother. He added: “We went through some difficult times, but we didn’t want her to be hurt… She’s my mom, and we are joined at the hip.” She was my mother, I just wanted to hug her.
“I did not want to harm her. I could not physically stop myself from hurting her.
Adam Feest QC (prosecutor) said that he was suggesting to her with a knife in his hand, repeatedly stabbing him, that he didn’t intend to harm her.
Schreiber said, “I did not want to hurt my mum. I realize that sounds insane.” Although I did not want to harm my mother, I could not physically stop doing what I was doing.
A jury has been shown footage released by the Metropolitan Police of Schreiber being chased at 135mph before armed police seized him
“I don’t consider myself a monster. But, right there, I thought that I was. I’m calm and peaceful, but I was once a monster.
He said, “If I had received the help I need, then this wouldn’t have happened.” If there were more communication among siblings and families,
“If I would have stopped being so cowardly and been less obnoxious, arrogant, then I might have received more help. If I were more conscious and less blind that could also have saved me.
Schreiber claimed he was “incredibly paranoid”, felt like a victim in his own family, and sent friends messages pleading for help.
He claimed that he was not angry at his mother for stabbing him.
Schreiber claimed Moorhill was toxic and said that she felt her mother hated him. She also stated, “I felt mom absolutely hated my body and wanted to kill me.” Their hatred of my guts was what I thought they hated.
Schreiber said he grabbed the knife after hearing a voice say ‘attack, attacker’ in his head. His mother had labelled him as ‘drunk like your father’.
Mrs Schreiber is the sole witness to the attack, which left her paralysed with poor memories.
Salisbury Hospital’s spine unit was the scene of the attack. She said that Thomas looked strange… His eyes were very unusual… It was frightening to behold because of their determination and utter determination.
The jury heard previously how Schreiber’s relationship with Sir Richard, the country mansion’s owner, led to a “vicious triangle” in which Schreiber tried to lose the painter.
His daughter Caroline Sutton even revealed the hotelier paid Schreiber £100,000 for a house deposit in a desperate attempt to get him to leave his home.
Sir Richard, who last year was listed at number 435 in the Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated family fortune of £301 million, was killed following rows with Schreiber about the inheritance of a family chandelier and a day at the races.
The estate empire included over 7,000 acres, five-star Sheraton Grand London Park Lane hotel and Mayfair’s Athenaeum Hotel.
Schreiber admitted to manslaughter in the death of the hotelier, but denied murder. His mother was attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty.
Also, he pleaded guilty for dangerous driving the night of his killing. He fled in Range Rover before being captured by police following a high-speed chase at 135mph from Wiltshire towards London.
Sir Richard’s corpse was discovered on the landing. After being initially attacked downstairs, he limped upstairs and Schreiber is reported to have then stabbed him with a kitchen knife five additional times.
After fantasizing for many months about the murders of Sir Richard and his mother, Schreiber is accused of repeatedly knifing them.
Sir Richard, his first wife Fiamma had two children and he also had five grandchildren.
Danish-born Mrs Schreiber is a physiotherapist with a Milborne Port practice, Dorset. She has three children, including her son Thomas.
Continue the trial.