Killer enraged by hotelier’s £10k handout to buy car after sisters had fared better

SIR Richard Sutton’s killer was aggrieved when he was given only £10,000 to buy a car but his sisters got more expensive vehicles, a court heard.

Thomas Schreiber stabbed the hotelier, 83, and his mother Anne Schreiber, 66, in an “explosion of violence” at the tycoon’s mansion in April, Winchester Crown Court was told.

Sir Richard died, but Mrs Schreiber survived despite life-changing injuries.

Schreiber was living in an annex on Sir Richard’s Moorhill estate, in the hamlet of Higher Langham, near Gillingham, Dorset, at the time but his “enforced presence” during the pandemic was a source of tension.

Prosecutor Adam Feest said that Sir Richard expressed his frustration about this to a number of people, with particular reference to Schreiber “not looking for work, living rent-free and using cars without asking”. Despite this, Sir Richard gave Schreiber £10,000 to buy a new vehicle.

Mr Feest said Sir Richard thought Schreiber “appeared ungrateful as he wanted a more expensive vehicle” and felt “unfairly discriminated” against, because his sisters were given larger sums of money to buy cars.

Yesterday, it was said that the 35-year-old “very much took his father’s side” following his mother’s separation in 2003 from David Schreiber, who then died in 2013, and that he felt his mother had been “bought” by Sir Richard.

The court also heard that Schreiber visited his father’s grave in Stalbridge, Dorset, and sent pictures of himself to his sister Rose texting “raising a glass” to his memory on the anniversary of his death, hours before the attack.

Schreiber sent the same picture of the gravestone to a friend and said: “I have a mixture rage, sadness and calm reflection”. Later that evening he attacked his mother and Sir Richard.

The jury were played rambling voicemails left by Schreiber minutes afterwards. He left a message to his friend Josh Adamson telling him: “I’ve killed my mother and I’ve killed her partner.”

A final call, to his sister Rose, said: “You’re a fantastic sister even though you’re a liar and a gold digger just like your mother.”

The prosecution say Schreiber repeatedly stabbed his mother and Sir Richard after contemplating their murders for months.

Schreiber has admitted manslaughter over the multi-millionaire’s death but denies murder.

Regarding his mother, he pleads not guilty to attempted murder.

He has also pleaded guilty to dangerous driving on the night of the killing, after he fled and was captured by police.

The trial continues.