Man accused of murdering millionaire Richard Sutton in Dorset urged police to shoot him, court told

A court has heard the man accused of murdering millionaire hotelier Sir Richard Sutton led police on a 135mph chase before being stopped in London, where he begged officers to shoot him.

Thomas Schreiber, of Gillingham in Dorset, is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the murder of the 83-year-old baronet and the attempted murder of his mother, Sir Richard’s partner, Anne Schreiber, on 7 April, 2021.

The 35-year-old has previously admitted the manslaughter of Sir Richard and pleaded guilty to driving a Range Rover dangerously on the A303, A4 and M3.

Adam Feest QC, prosecuting, told the court Schreiber triggered an ANPR camera while driving Sir Richard’s Range Rover on the A303 near Stonehenge, leading to the high-speed chase. It was only halted when officers performed a “hard stop” on the vehicle in Chiswick, west London.

The prosecutor said: “Once the Range Rover had been forced to stop, the defendant remained in the driver’s seat but appeared to be stabbing himself with a knife.

“In order to prevent further injury to him, the police tasered him, making him drop the knife. They then quickly dragged him out of the vehicle and restrained him.”

Mr Feest said the defendant shouted out to police: “Shoot me, I don’t want to live.”

He said Mr Schreiber admitted to medics he had stabbed his mother and Sir Richard and said: “I was drunk and just snapped.”

Mr Feest said Mr Schreiber later told police “he loves his mother and Sir Richard and although the break-up of his parents’ marriage made him feel not great, you have to move on”.

In a phone call from prison to his sister Louisa Schreiber, he said “it had been complete madness, he had lost control, it wasn’t him but… demons”.

The Home Office pathologist Dr Basil Purdue found the injuries suffered by Sir Richard included three deep wounds to his face as well as five stab wounds to his chest, up to 12cm deep.

Sir Richard also suffered wounds to his hands and arms and, Mr Feest said: “This indicates that Sir Richard was aware that he was being attacked and was capable of attempting vigorously to ward off or gain possession of a sharp-edged weapon being wielded against him by the defendant.”

Ms Schreiber was found by police severely injured in the kitchen.

Mr Feest said: “She recalls that the defendant lifted the knife up and must have stabbed her, although she does not recall actually being stabbed but does remember looking at the knife in her and being surprised that it did not hurt more, and saying something like ‘what are you doing?’

“Anne described this experience as feeling like a bystander looking through a window. At some point she recalled that Sir Richard came in to the room shouting and screaming.

“This appeared to make the defendant more agitated and he stabbed his mother again.

“Anne could not recall what happened to Sir Richard after that, but does remember the defendant going behind her and stabbing her in the back. That was the last thing she knew.”

The 66-year-old suffered up to 15 separate injuries. One of the injuries partially cut her spinal cord, leading to serious and ongoing consequences.

Thomas Schreiber denies murder and attempted murder and the trial continues.