Richard Sutton murder trial: Man accused of killing step-father blames 'demons' in prison call

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Thomas Schreiber, 34, (right) who has been charged with the murder of Sir Richard Sutton, as seen from a video link from Winchester Crown Court. Picture date: Tuesday April 13, 2021.
A sketch of Thomas Schreiber during an earlier court appearance Credit: PA/Elizabeth Cook

The sister of a man accused of murdering his step-father and paralysing his mother sobbed in court as her brother's telephone call from prison was played to the jury.

Thomas Schreiber is on trial at Winchester Crown Court charged with the murder of 83-year-old Richard Sutton and the attempted murder of Anne Schreiber.

The court heard the 35-year-old apologise to his sister Louise in a call made while on remand at HMP Winchester awaiting trial.

During the call, Schreiber said: “I am so sorry, absolute complete madness, I am waking up every day hoping to wake up from this nightmare.“I had a complete loss of control, it’s complete madness, it doesn’t make any sense and I am so sorry, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, I didn’t want to hurt anyone and I have done the opposite.”

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He added: “I completely flipped, that wasn’t me that day, it wasn’t Tom Schreiber, it was someone else, it was demons.“I’m so sorry I did that to mum and Richard, it’s so regrettable, everything is so regrettable, all I want to do is turn back the clock to April 7, it doesn’t seem real, I didn’t mean it, I just want to give mum a hug.”Schreiber asked his sister in the call about his mother’s condition. She explained his knife attack had partially severed her spinal cord in her neck, leaving her paralysed and unable to breathe without a ventilator.His mother suffered up to 15 separate injuries, including wounds to the back of her head, arm and chest, as well as to her neck, shoulder and back, in the attack.

'Richard struggled with the fact that Tom was lazy'

Sir Richard’s daughter Caroline Sutton broke down in tears as she gave evidence behind a screen, saying that her father had given each of the Schreiber siblings £100,000 as deposits to buy a house, along with the monthly £1,000 allowance.She said: “My father was constantly talking about wanting him out of the house and he wouldn’t go.“He constantly talked about Tom, about how Tom was rude and disrespectful and wouldn’t help him. I suggested he got him somewhere to live and he said Tom wouldn’t go.”Her husband, Steven Woodward, said: “Richard struggled with the fact that Tom was lazy, of Tom not showing any respect to Richard and his mother and his sisters.

Sir Richard Sutton died in the incident in April Credit: PC Agency/PA

“It had become a bit of a joke that Sir Richard would become obsessed because it had become so bad for him, he was a prisoner in his own home.”Describing the defendant, he added: “This is a person who felt the world owed him a living, he is sarcastic, he thought he was better than everyone else.”Thomas Schreiber has previously admitted the manslaughter of Sir Richard  and pleaded guilty to driving a Range Rover dangerously on the A303, A4 and M3. He denies murder and attempted murder - the trial continues.