A millionaire's murder: How hatred of family sparked frenzied knife attack
Multi-millionaire Sir Richard Sutton died at his Dorset mansion in April of this year.
He suffered three deep stab wounds to his face and five to his chest, one of which punctured his heart.
His partner - Anne Schreiber - was also stabbed in the incident at the Moorhill estate in Gillingham. She is now paralysed, having suffered 15 separate injuries.
Her son, Thomas Schreiber, has been found guilty of attempting to murder her and murdering Sir Richard.
During his trial at Winchester Crown Court, the court heard a feeling of "hatred" towards his family led to what was described as a "ferocious" attack.
Instances of violence within the family dated back years, with witnesses painting a picture of the defendant being unhappy at home.
The jury heard Schreiber struggled to get over the death of his father, and felt he was treated unfairly despite receiving £100,000 from Sir Richard and a £1,000 monthly allowance.
Schreiber said he felt trapped in a pressure cooker while living at Sir Richard's mansion, particularly when Covid lockdown restrictions were in place.
Over the course of the two-and-a-half week trial, a picture of Schreiber's dysfunctional relationship with his family was told to the jury, which ITV News has put together into a timeline below.
2003
Ms Schreiber moved in with Sir Richard in December 2003 after separating from David Schreiber, Thomas Schreiber's father.
Ms Schreiber said her son was not happy when she moved in with Sir Richard.
“He found it difficult, Thomas didn’t like my friend and lover Richard Sutton to be part of his life,” she said.
2013 - David Schreiber dies
The court heard David Schreiber was a functioning alcoholic but his drinking problem and depression worsened after his separation with the defendant's mother.
Adam Schreiber, who has the same father as the defendant but not the same mother, told the court that his half brother had never got over the death of their father.
The court heard the defendant took his father’s side following the separation and “harboured a significant and sustained feeling of resentment towards both his mother and Sir Richard”.
Adam Schreiber said the defendant believed she had left him for a “more comfortable life”.
2015
Sir Richard gifts Schreiber £100,000 to go towards a property as well as a £1,000 monthly allowance.
Schreiber, who said he had 35 jobs in sales since he was 18, said he “had never been close” to Sir Richard but was grateful for the “incredibly” generous gift.
December 2018
A friend of Schreiber - James Reid - told the court that by December 2018, he felt the defendant had had some “form of mental breakdown”.
March 2019
Schreiber attends a four-day residential course where he was assessed as an alcoholic by Francis Lickerish, a counsellor who specialises in addiction and trauma.
He said the defendant was not “happy to accept” it, adding: “He was quite angry with the whole situation, he felt very much less than any other member of the family.
“He felt all the other members of the family were treated differently to him and he felt hurt by that."
2019
In the summer of 2019, Schreiber told the court there was an incident where he pulled his mother's hair and hit her in the car after she called him a “f****** leech”.
At Christmas time, animosity in the family broke out into violence during a trip to the Wincanton races.
Prosecutor Adam Feest QC described how a “tussle” broke out between the defendant and his sister, Ms McCarthy, after he refused to drive.
He said it culminated in Sir Richard intervening by taking a swing at him but missing, with Schreiber retaliating by hitting him in the face.
2020
The defendant’s sister, Louisa Schreiber, said another argument descended into violence in November 2020 after the defendant became angry when their mother offered her a chandelier for her home.
She described how he began saying “hurtful” things about her including that “all I do is take, take take” and “how I took from Dad”.
"I launched forward and slapped him round the face, I said, ‘stop saying things, these things aren’t true'," she said.
The court heard Sir Richard intervened by hitting her brother over the back with his walking stick, breaking the stick, before Schreiber punched him in the face.
After the incident, the defendant sent a draft letter he had written to his mother to a friend.
The letter said: “I am not welcome however much I try with you and Richard."
He added: “The level of hatred you all had for me was plain to see, no-one deserves to be assaulted.”
2021
Schreiber said lockdown rules worsened his mental health and he felt as if he was living in a pressure cooker at home.
Defence witness, consultant psychiatrist Dr Tim Rogers, told the court the defendant’s history of mental ill health contributed to a “significant impairment of rational thought”.
Psychiatrist Dr John Sandford, called by the prosecution, said he did not consider that the defendant suffered from a major depressive disorder.
Tommy Clark, 45, who used to share a flat with the defendant, said: “He couldn’t wait to have a social life, he hated lockdown, hated the scenario he was in and he desperately wanted to move out.
“I would describe a gradual decline and increased desperation, based on how negative he seemed and how unhappy he was with the lockdown situation.
“He had also made plans to go away for Christmas last year and they were scuppered by the travel restrictions. He seemed like he was in an unhappy place.”
March - Searches for 'revenge'
Rosie Latham, major crime analyst, said on March 1, the defendant searched for “revenge on gold-digging mother” and on March 26 he looked up “consumed by thoughts of revenge”.
He also researched “family counselling”, “never satisfied mental state”, and “wanting mind of unhappiness and depression”.
March - Text messages reveal 'hatred' for family
The defendant sent a message to a friend saying: "I’m so sad to report that my mind is consumed with hatred of the very worst kind towards my family.
“They really hurt me, betrayed me and destroyed all trust. Simply put I contemplate murdering them all morning, day and night. It’s not what I want to think about but it’s the truth. I want them to suffer.”
Another message on March 25 said: “I think and strategise every single day how to murder my mother and co.”
April 6 - The day before the fatal incident
The day before the killing, Schreiber looked up: “The hidden upsides of revenge – BBC Futures”, “How to overcome deep-seated desires for revenge – 13 steps”, and “The psychology of revenge”.
He also looked up: “Ever want to get revenge? Try this instead – New York Times”, and: “Why betrayal hurts so much and who seeks revenge from Psychology Today”.
The court was also shown a text message sent by the defendant to his sister on the day before the killing in which he wrote, having mistaken the date: “Raising a glass to dad who passed away eight years ago today. RIP. You remember right? Your real father David, not the one who ‘bought you’ who you call your father… cupboard love.”
April 7 - The day of the killing
The killing happened on the anniversary of David Schreiber's death.
The defendant went to visit his father’s grave and spent the afternoon painting before having a chat with Sir Richard as they remembered his father.
Anne Schreiber told the court she 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: "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."
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."
Police were later called to Sir Richard’s home Moorhill, in Higher Langham, and found a trail of blood as they cleared room by room.
Moment armed police break into Dorset mansion
Adam Feest QC, prosecuting, told the jury officers discovered Moorhill had been the setting of "a ferocious and sustained attack".
Anne Schreiber was found barely conscious on the floor of the kitchen.
Sir Richard was found dead, having suffered five stab wounds - two of which were deep enough to puncture the lung and another to pierce the heart.
Schreiber transferred £30,000 into the bank account of his girlfriend on the day of the attack.
It was accompanied by the note: “Love from Thomas.”
He also sent voice notes to his friend and sister. To his friend, he said: "I've killed my mother and I've killed her partner and this is the last you'll ever hear from me and I'm so sorry. I had to take action."
He left a voice note for his sister saying: "You're a fantastic sister, even though you're a liar and a gold-digger just like your mother.
"You will always be part of me. I'm so sorry for all my mistakes."
Listen to voice notes left after Sir Richard's murder
Arrest
Schreiber triggered an ANPR camera while driving Sir Richard’s Range Rover on the A303 near Stonehenge leading to a high-speed police chase.
Helicopter and bodycam footage shows high-speed chase
Once police performed a 'hard stop' on the vehicle in Chiswick, London, Schreiber stabbed himself with a knife.
He shouted to police "shoot me, I don't want to live". He was tasered and arrested before being taken to St Mary’s Hospital in London for treatment for his injuries.
Prison phone call
Schreiber called his sister, Louisa Schreiber, 40, while on remand at HMP Winchester awaiting trial.
During the call, Schreiber told his sister: “I am so sorry, absolute complete madness, I am waking up every day hoping to wake up from this nightmare.
He said he had "lost control" and "it wasn’t him but… demons”.
October 2021
Thomas Schreiber admits manslaughter and driving a Range Rover dangerously on the A303, A4 and M3.
He denies murdering Sir Richard and denies attempting to murder his mother so a trial is scheduled.
December 2021
Schreiber is found guilty of murder and attempted murder after a three-week trial. The jury took just shy of five hours to make its decision.
He is due to be sentenced on Monday (December 20).