Thomas Schreiber stabbed Sir Richard Sutton and his mum Anne Schreiber as he flew into a rage in April this year (Picture: PA)

An aspiring artist murdered one of the UK’s wealthiest landowners and tried to kill his own mum, as lockdown brought tensions to the boil.

Thomas Schreiber, 35, stabbed Sir Richard Sutton to death at his Dorset country estate on April 7, 2021.

He attacked the 83-year-old baronet in his study and followed the multi-millionaire upstairs to finish him off as he cried out for help.

Schreiber then repeatedly stabbed his 66-year-old mum Anne Schreiber in the kitchen.

He injured her so badly that she is still in hospital eight months later and is unlikely to walk again.

Schreiber was convicted of murder and attempted murder today following a three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.

The defendant, wearing a blue suit and tie with a pink shirt, closed his eyes as the verdict was announced.

File photo dated 14/12/21 of the late Sir Richard Sutton. The jury has retired for a second day at Winchester Crown Court to consider its verdicts in the trial of artist Thomas Schreiber, of Gillingham, Dorset, who is accused of the murder of millionaire hotelier Sir Richard Sutton and attempted murder of his mother Anne Schreiber, 66, on April 7, 2021. Issue date: Friday December 17, 2021. PA Photo. 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. The attack happened at Sir Richard's Moorhill estate near Gillingham, which he shared with the Schreiber family following the separation of the defendant's parents. Anne Schreiber was paralysed in the attack and remains in hospital eight months later. See PA story COURTS Gillingham. Photo credit should read: PC Agency/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
‘We can never bring back Sir Richard but his spirit will very much live on,’ his family said (Picture: PA)

A cry of ‘Yes’ could be heard from the public gallery, where some members of the family were sitting.

Others, including Ms Schreiber who he was convicted of trying to kill, watched by video-link.

The jury of 10 men and two women reached a majority verdict of 11 to one on both counts after four hours and 51 minutes of deliberations.

Adjourning the case for sentencing on Monday, the judge, Mr Justice Garnham thanked jurors for sitting through all the graphic details.

He said: ‘I am extremely grateful to you all for the evident care you have taken in this case, it’s been a difficult case to listen to.’

Sir Richard and Ms Schreiber were living together with the defendant on the millionaire’s Dorset estate (Picture: PA)
Undated screengrab of footage issued by The Metropolitan Police of Thomas Schreiber (centre) being pursued by armed police at speeds of up to 135mph into central London which has been shown to the jury in his murder trial. The pursuit along the A303 and M3 into central London happened after the defendant had fatally stabbed Sir Richard Sutton and attacked his mother, Anne Schreiber, at their home near Gillingham, Dorset. Issue date: Friday December 3, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Gillingham Pursuit. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Schreiber was pursued by armed police at speeds of up to 135mph into central London (Picture: PA)

In a statement, Sir Richard’s relatives said: ‘How could any family recover from such a sudden and devastating loss.

‘We can never bring back Sir Richard but his spirit will very much live on, alongside the very happy memories we have of our incredible father, brother and grandfather.

‘His values of being warm, generous and compassionate to everyone he met will be carried forward by future generations, and will never be extinguished.’

Schreiber admitted carrying out the ‘horror show’ knife attack on the pair on the eighth anniversary of the death of his alcoholic father, David Schreiber.

He said he launched his attack after his mother shouted at him for being ‘drunk like his father’.

The defendant told the court: ‘I just went completely crazy, I completely snapped and I just launched for her and began attacking her uncontrollably.’

He had admitted manslaughter but denied the murder of the baronet, saying he had ‘lost control’ of himself and had not intended to hurt him or his mother.

Ms Schreiber suffered up to 15 separate injuries on her head and body, including a partially severed spinal cord which has left her paralysed.

Sir Richard suffered three deep wounds to his face and five to his chest, up to 12cm deep.

Schreiber had also pleaded guilty to driving a Range Rover dangerously on the A303, A4 and M3 when he failed to stop for armed police in a 135mph pursuit into central London.

Handout still issued by Dorset Police taken from the body-worn video footage of armed police officers arriving at Moorhill on the evening of the killing and shown to the court in the case of Thomas Schreiber who is accused of the murder of Sir Richard Sutton and attempted murder of his mother Anne Schreiber, on April 7 2021. Issue date: Tuesday December 7, 2021. PA Photo. 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. See PA story COURTS Gillingham . Photo credit should read: Dorset Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Armed police officers arriving at Moorhill on the evening of the killing (Picture: PA)
Undatd handout photo issued by Dorset Police of the knife used in the attack by Thomas Schreiber which was found in a sink at the Moorhill estate. Thomas Schreiber is on trail at Winchester Crown Court accused of the murder of Sir Richard Sutton and the attempted murder of his mother, and Sir Richard's partner, Anne Schreiber, on April 7, 2021. Issue date: Thursday December 9, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Gillingham . Photo credit should read: Dorset Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Using this knife, Schreiber inflicted three deep wounds on Sir Richard’s face and five to his chest (Picture: PA)

As he was detained in Chiswick, the defendant stabbed himself in the chest and told officers: ‘Please kill me now, please just shoot me.’

Sir Richard’s shared his Moorhill estate with the Schreiber family following the separation of the defendant’s parents.

The trial heard Schreiber was angry with his mother for ‘abandoning’ his father, who suffered from depression, to move in with Sir Richard, branding her a ‘gold-digging bitch’.

Schreiber, an aspiring painter, also felt Sir Richard treated him unfairly compared to his two sisters, despite him receiving a £1,000 monthly allowance and £100,000 towards buying a house.

Family arguments descended into violence on three previous occasions, including once when Sir Richard hit the defendant with his walking stick in November 2020.

It caused the cane to shatter and left Schreiber feeling ‘humiliated’, the court was told.

The defendant blamed lockdown for worsening his mental health by forcing him to remain in the ‘toxic pressure boiler’ environment of Sir Richard’s estate.

In March 2021, he had written to a friend: ‘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.’

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