Paralysed mum remembers looking at the knife in her and being 'surprised it didn't hurt'

A mother has described the "extraordinary grimace" on her son's face when he allegedly came towards her with a "nice and sharp" kitchen knife, stabbing her and leaving her paralysed.

Thomas Schreiber is on trial at Winchester Crown Court accused of the murder of millionaire hotelier Sir Richard Sutton, and attempted murder of his mother Anne Schreiber, on April 7, 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.

• Watch: Moment high-speed chase ends and police arrest Thomas Schreiber

The attack happened at Sir Richard’s Moorhill estate near Gillingham, Dorset, which he shared with the Schreiber family following the separation of the defendant’s parents.

Anne Schreiber remains in hospital seven months after the incident and says she still has nightmares about the evening in question.

In a video interview shown to the court, recorded at Salisbury Hospital on June 29 this year, the 66-year-old is sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a pink top and grey scarf, holding a pillow.

She told the court she had returned from the supermarket at about 6pm and had just fed the dogs in the kitchen, when her son came in and attacked her with a “nice and sharp” kitchen knife.

She said: “I am quite happy, possibly singing a little tune, but I am in a good mood when Tom comes in to the kitchen.

“Tom comes into the kitchen. Tom looks unusual, I think that is the best description, his eyes are quite, weird is not the word, almost frightening look, because they look terribly, terribly determined.

“I say ‘What’s the matter?’ or ‘Are you all right?’, and I see a knife and I remember saying ‘Don’t be so silly’, because he gives me an indication.”

She added: “He stood with his knife, he certainly didn’t look like he was going to help me peel potatoes, let’s put it that way, it was definitely a threatening posture.”

Ms Schreiber continued: “I believe that he stabbed me, I received some stab wounds from him and I remember looking at the knife in me and being surprised that it doesn’t hurt.

“I am also remembering me saying ‘What are you doing?’ or something ridiculous like that, and being very surprised that it doesn’t hurt more.

“Then I believe, I may be wrong, that Richard comes in from the other living room, shouting and screaming, he was definitely alive because I did see him.”

She added: “I remember him stabbing me again and then I do not know what happens to Richard.

“I honestly can’t say that I have seen Richard being stabbed by Tom, but I know I am, that’s for sure.

“He also goes behind me towards the island, and I do believe he stabs me on the back at that time, and I am afraid that is as far as my memory goes.”

The defendant, of Gillingham in Dorset, sat with his head facing down for much of his mother’s evidence, looking up occasionally at the screen.

'His face was screwed up in an extraordinary grimace'

She continued: “He was definitely not himself, I would swear on oath that the man who came in my kitchen could have been a total stranger, he looked not out of normal but unusual, because I was shocked when I saw him.

“His eyes were very unusual, his face was screwed up in an extraordinary grimace, he looked very, very out of control.”

She added: “I have some awful nightmares relating to this time, in my head, but they are not real so I can’t use them – I was trapped and he was my captor but they are not real.”

Describing her son, Ms Schreiber said: “He is always a person, I wonder where have I gone wrong, also in some ways I have failed him.

“David didn’t fail him, he spoiled him a terrible amount, and so did I, but with the love oozing on to him and having two older siblings.

“It’s very difficult when you talk about bringing up children, it’s almost as if I have given Tom an enormous amount of love, and I certainly loved him, I have spoilt him.

“He was a very attractive little boy with blond hair, he had a furious temperament.

“He can be very aggressive, especially towards me, I did seem to take the brunt, I couldn’t get away with very much before he jumped on me.

“He was also very aggressive towards his beloved dad, David, who he absolutely adored.”

Ms Schreiber said the defendant had strangled her while driving home from a party, about two years earlier.

She said: “I didn’t retaliate at all, I just waited until it was all over, he can then turn round and be as good as gold, it’s a weird combination, he jolly well knows when he has his hands round your throat though.”

The defendant denies murder and attempted murder and the trial continues.