Man arrested over death of millionaire Sir Richard Sutton remains in hospital

Tributes paid to ‘caring, generous and warm’ hotelier

Hotelier Sir Richard Sutton was killed in Dorset on 7 April, 2021. (PA)

A man arrested in London over the death of an aristocratic businessman remains in hospital, the police have said.

Sir Richard Sutton, who was in his early 80s, was stabbed to death at a property in Higher Langham, Dorset, on Wednesday evening.

A woman, reportedly the hotelier’s wife, was badly injured in the incident and was flown to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.

The Met Police later detained a 34-year-old man, who was known to the victims, after they stopped a vehicle in Hammersmith.

The suspect was then taken to hospital to receive treatment for what are thought to be non life-threatening injuries.

Sir Richard Sutton Ltd, a company which has hotels in London including the Athenaeum, paid its respects to its owner, describing him as “a caring, generous and warm family man”.

“His loss will be felt by everyone within the company, those who worked with him, and his family who have lost an incredible individual,” it added.

In 2020, Sir Sutton was named by The Sunday Times Rich List as the 435th wealthiest person in the UK, with an estimated net worth of £301 million.

He had a wide range of property and farming interests, including the 6,500-acre Benham Estate in Berkshire.

Detective Inspector Simon Huxter, of Dorset Police, said the force’s thoughts were with the family of the victims.

“We will be carrying out a full investigation to establish exactly what happened at the address in Higher Langham, and I would appeal to anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area on the evening of 7 April to please contact us,” he added.

Additional reporting by PA