Sir Richard Sutton's stepson, 34, faces three-week trial after appearing in court charged with murdering multi-millionaire hotel tycoon at his £2m Dorset mansion
- Thomas Schreiber, 34, was at Winchester Crown Court charged with murder
- He is also accused of the attempted murder of his mother, Anne Schreiber, 65
- He was remanded in custody ahead of three-week trial in October this year The stepson of hotel tycoon Sir Richard Sutton is facing a three-week trial after being charged over his murder.
Thomas Schreiber, 34, appeared at Winchester Crown Court today, over the death of 84-year-old Sir Richard at his £2million country mansion.
Sir Richard - who was one of Britain's richest men - suffered fatal stab wounds during the incident on April 7.
Schreiber is also charged with the attempted murder of his mother, Anne Schreiber, 65, during the incident at Moorhill in the hamlet of Higher Langham, near Gillingham, Dorset.
Today Schreiber appeared in the dock wearing a grey jumper, a thick bandage around his right hand and spoke only to confirm his identity.
During the brief ten minute hearing a provisional two to three week trial was set for October 25, though Schreiber has not yet entered a plea and will do so on July 5.
Thomas Schreiber, 34, right, who has been charged with the murder of Sir Richard Sutton
Thomas Schreiber, 34, is facing a three-week trial over the murder of Sir Richard Sutton
Sir Richard Sutton, who owned a string of top hotels in London, and died last Wednesday
The court was also told Schreiber, who has short fair hair, is clean shaven and is from the Gillingham area in Dorset, is paying privately for his legal costs.
Prosecutor Adam Feest QC said: 'There's quite a lot of forensic investigation at the scene. The scene has been looked at and now the scientists need to go through it - there's a lot to be looked at.'
Abdullah Al-Yunusi, defending, did not ask for bail but asked for policy body-worn camera footage - filmed during investigations at the house - to be sent to him.
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Recorder of Winchester, Her Honour Judge Angela Morris, adjourned the case until July 5.
Judge Morris said: 'This matter will go on to July 5, the defendant will remain in custody.'
She added: 'Mr Schreiber, there have been some dates set. The first of these that is important is July 5. What will happen is that the indictment - the charges - will be put to youand you will plead either guilty or not guilty.
Sir Richard's second wife Anne Schreiber, who is still fighting for her life in hospital
Sir Richard suffered fatal stab wounds at a property in Higher Langham on Wednesday evening
Police were called to the sprawling property after receiving a call over concerns of safety
'There is now a trial date set, that is October 25.'
Police were called to Sir Richard's £2m home at about 7.30pm on April 7.
He had suffered stab wounds to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.15pm.
An initial post-mortem examination that was conducted on Friday indicated that the cause of death was stab wounds to his chest.
Mrs Schreiber was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, where she remains in a critical condition.
The defendant faces a third count of dangerous driving on the A303 and M3 in relation to the night of the alleged attack.
Schreiber was arrested by police about three hours after the call to the police in Hammersmith, west London.
Sir Richard, who has been described as an 'old English gentry landowner', was at 435 on the Sunday Times Rich List.
He owned a huge portfolio of hotels, property and farms across the country.
He had two children, David, 61, and Caroline, 55, by his first wife Fiamma, and five grandchildren.
Ms Shreiber, a Danish-born physiotherapist who has a practice in Milborne Port, Dorset, has three grown-up children.
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