Who was Sir Richard Sutton and how did he die?

Baronet had an extensive property and farming portfolio, owning around 7,000 acres across the country

Sir Richard was listed at number 435 in the Sunday Times Rich List last year, with an estimated family fortune of £301 million. (PA)

The son of millionaire hotelier Sir Richard Sutton’s wife has admitted his manslaughter.

But Thomas Schreiber denied murder and also pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his mother, Anne Schreiber. He will go on trial later this month.

Sir Richard, 83, was stabbed to death at his estate in Gillingham, Dorset in April. An initial post-mortem examination found he had suffered fatal stab wounds in his chest. Ms Schreiber was airlifted to Southmead Hospital in Bristol and survived her injuries.

Who was Sir Richard Sutton?

Sir Richard Lexington Sutton, 9th Baronet, owned about 7,000 acres of land up and down the country from Dorset, Berkshire and London, to Lincolnshire and Aberdeenshire.

He belonged to the established Sutton baronetcy, a title with its originating from the reign of King James I.

Sir Richard had an extensive property and farming portfolio, including the 6,500-acre Benham Estate in west Berkshire and the Stainton Estate in Lincolnshire.

Alongside his vast estates, he was also known for his lucrative hotel empire - including the Sheraton Grand Park Lane and the Athenaeum in Mayfair, plus three smaller venues in Bath, Cheltenham and Windsor.

A night in a suite at the luxurious, five-star Sheraton hotel cost up to £1,500 a night.

“Sir Richard Sutton Limited (SRSL) manages and owns a portfolio of trading assets and businesses in the hotels, property and farming sectors,” his company website reads.

“Our purpose is to continue to act as honourable long-term custodians, to protect the heritage created over past centuries and with integrity enhance the legacy for future generations.”

Sir Richard was listed at number 435 in the Sunday Times Rich List last year, with an estimated family fortune of £301 million – a rise of £83 million on the previous year.

His first marriage to Fiamma Sutton, daughter to Marzio Ferrari, produced two children, David, 61, and Caroline, 55, and five grandchildren.

He later married Anne Schreiber who had three children of her own. The youngest, 34-year-old Thomas, remains remanded in custody as he awaits trial on 29 November.

Police were called to an address in Higher Langham, near Gillingham, Dorset, 7.30pm on 7 April. They found Sir Richard and Ms Schreiber with serious injuries.

Prosecutors said they would not accept Mr Schriber’s guilty plea for manslaughter.