Antiques dealer admits strangling seven year old daughter to death

A wealthy antiques dealer today (weds) admitted strangling his seven-year-old daughter to death with a cord at their £1 million home.

Robert Peters, 55, wrapped the cord of a dressing gown around Sophia’s neck and left her critically injured in Raynes Park, southwest London, at around 8am on 3 November.

Peters was arrested and charged with attempted murder as doctors battled to save his daughter’s life in hospital.

The dealer called police himself and admitted he had killed the girl.

A charge of attempted murder against him was upgraded to murder at the Old Bailey after Sophia tragically died in hospital on the morning of 4 November.

Peters, who appeared in the dock wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit, denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer said: ‘My lord that plea is not acceptable to the Crown.’

The Recorder of London, Judge Nicholas Hilliard, QC, fixed Peters’ trial for 23 April.

Three times married Peters, who runs an antiques business with his twin brother Richard in Kensington, spoke only to identify himself and showed no emotion during the brief preliminary hearing.

He had recently moved to his home in Blenheim Street, Raynes Park, with Sophia’s Thai mother Krittiya and is said to have business assets of £1.3million.

The defendant, said to have assets worth more than £1m, runs an antiques firm with his brother in Kensington, west London, which specialises in oriental ceramics and artworks.

Peters, of Blenheim Street, Raynes Park, southwest London, denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
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