‘HEAD SHOT BY HER HUSBAND THEN HE KILLED THEIR GIRL’
Police think tragedy was murder-suicide
AN accountant shot dead his headteacher wife and young daughter before turning the gun on himself, police believe.
The deaths of George and Emma Pattison, and seven-year-old Lettie, are being investigated as a possible murdersuicide, it was claimed yesterday.
They were found dead at their home in the grounds of independent Epsom College in the early hours of Sunday.
Surrey Police yesterday revealed Mr Pattison had been in contact last Thursday to notify them about a change of address for his shotgun licence.
It was reported that Mrs Pattison contacted a close relative on Saturday evening with concerns about her husband and when the relative arrived at their home they found them all dead. It was also claimed that Mr Pattison had reported his wife for allegedly striking him. The Times said she was spoken to by officers but he quickly withdrew the allegation, saying it was trivial.
A source has also claimed a member of school staff called emergency services on Sunday after hearing gunshots.
Police have not released details of the cause of death but are confident that no one else was involved.
Mrs Pattison, 45, became Epsom’s first female head last September after six years as head of Croydon High School in South London.
Boarding students at the college pay over £42,000 a year and alumni include Tory MP Sir Michael Fallon, broadcaster Jeremy Vine and comedian brother Tim. Mr Pattison, 39, was director of a management consultancy called Tanglewood 2016, according to Companies House. Mrs Pattison told the Epsom College podcast two months ago how much she was “absolutely loving” her time there.
She said: “It’s been a really big change for my family. So we’ve obviously moved house, we’ve got a dog, I’ve got a new job, my husband’s got a new job, which wasn’t meant to happen but did, and my daughter has started at a new school.”
Neighbours at the family’s former home in Caterham, Surrey, were shocked to learn of the deaths of the “normal, happy family”. One said: “It is just awful. I used to see Emma going running.
“I didn’t see George so much, he was quite quiet and kept himself to himself but their daughter was so happy.
“You used to hear her playing in the garden, she was always asking them questions and just seemed like a happy, inquisitive little girl.
“Emma would always stop to chat on the road, she talked a lot about her school and she loved that job.”
Post mortems are expected to take place later this week.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, the senior investigating officer, said: “This is an incredibly traumatic incident and we are working around the clock to investigate.”
We moved house and got new jobs.. it’s a really big change
MRS PATTISON SPEAKING IN DECEMBER