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Epsom College Headmistress Emma Pattison hosted a final dinner with her husband George the night before he shot his wife and seven-year-old daughter to death and then killed himself.
Ms Pattison, 45, became the first female head of the prestigious independent school just five months ago and moved to college with her daughter Lettie, while her husband George, 39, remained in his old £1.5m property in Caterham while the sale was finalizing.
The family was discovered dead on property within the school grounds around 1:10 a.m. Sunday, police said.
But just hours before the brutal attack, the couple reportedly hosted a dinner party for friends with “no indication” anything was amiss.
It was understood that Mr Pattison showed no signs of being upset or worried overnight.
Epsom College Headmistress Emma Pattison, 45, her husband George, 39, and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie.
Police believe Mr Pattison shot his wife and daughter to death before turning the gun on himself.
A family friend told him Sun: ‘On Saturday night they gave a dinner. It was quite an intimate affair and it literally turned out to be their last supper.
‘Nothing unusual happened. There were no arguments, no indication that he would do something so horrible shortly thereafter.”
Neighbors say Mr Pattison had been “flipping” between his old house and the property in Epsom before the keys were handed over to the new owners last month.
It was then that he moved into the family’s new home with his wife Emma and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie.
It emerged yesterday that Ms Pattison made a distraught phone call to her sister Deborah Kirk in the early hours of Sunday morning, just minutes before she was shot dead.
Mrs Kirk immediately got into a car and drove to the university in Surrey, but was too late and discovered her body, as well as that of her husband George and Lettie.
Surrey Police confirmed they believe Mr Pattison shot his wife and daughter to death before turning the gun on himself, and that no third parties were involved in the killings.
Surrey Police referred to the independent watchdog about the triple shooting after it emerged they had been in contact with Mr Pattison just days earlier.
The killer had been a licensed shotgun possessor for many years and was called by officers to verify the storage of his firearm last Thursday. The officers did not visit the facility.
Home Office regulations state that gun owners must notify the police of any change of address as soon as they move.
Mrs Pattison with her daughter Lettie. The seven-year-old has been described as a “little angel” and “perfect in every way” following her death on Sunday morning.
Ms Pattison had become principal of the prestigious university just five months ago, and was the first woman to hold the position.
Ms Pattison’s desperate call to her sister Deborah Kirk (pictured together) and her husband prompted relatives to jump into a car and drive to her in Surrey.
Emma Pattison with her husband George at a school function
A police vehicle outside Epsom College in Surrey on Monday after the three deaths in an apparent murder-suicide.
A neighbor of the family in Caterham told MailOnline: ‘It’s horrible what happened at university. I never heard any argument or anything like that when they lived here.
“They seemed to have it all, a nice house, good jobs and lots of money.
“In addition to the BMW, George also drove a Jaguar XR and an Audi S5. They had also spent a lot of money fixing up the house.
“When they first moved in, it was a rather scruffy granny-style house, but they expanded the kitchen and spruced up the back garden, as well as upgrading the front of the house.
‘Emma was really nice and lovely. She would speak over the fence.
‘George was much quieter, much more introverted.
“He appeared to be over 39, looked and acted like someone approaching 50, not 40. His dress sense was almost like a country gentleman.
‘For the last year or so I never saw him go to work. I think he may have worked a little at home, but I got the impression that he had a lot of free time.
“I would watch him through the window sipping glasses of red wine in his new kitchen extension.”
Yesterday, Emma’s close friend Helen Walker, 43, posted a touching photo of Mrs Pattison and her daughter paddling on the beach four years ago in Walberswick, Suffolk.
She wrote: ‘When you hear or read the tragic news of my dear friend and her beautiful daughter, keep this vision in your mind. Don’t think of them as victims of a cowardly man.
Think of them on the beach at Walberswick in Suffolk paddling in the sun on a late August day. Emma Pattison your light will never stop shining brightly.
‘We miss and love you both very much. I pray that my mother is up there to greet you and give you a huge hug that we can’t.
Ms Walker later modified her post to remove mention of a “cowardly man” as she sought to focus attention on her friend’s positive memories.
Speaking from his home, he said: ‘It really should be about her. I don’t want to speculate on him in any way. I want people to visualize her and her daughter in a happy place.
“She was the most beautiful person in the world, both inside and out. She was truly inspiring. Lettie was beautiful too.
In 2016, financial records show that Pattison, a chartered accountant, was the sole director of management consultancy Tanglewood.
He had recently taken out a director’s loan of £14,076, according to accounts for the year ending October 2021.
Meanwhile, Land Registry documents revealed that a mortgage was taken out on the family’s four-bedroom Caterham home in January last year, eight years after they bought it for around £600,000.
In December, Ms Pattison told a student podcast that her move had been “a big change for my family”, adding: “I got a new job, my husband got a new job, which was not meant to happen. , but he did, and my daughter has started a new school.’
Officials confirmed yesterday that a registered and licensed firearm of Mr. Pattison’s was recovered from the principal’s residence after the murder.
They claimed that her phone call with him about his address change days earlier was ‘routine’ communication.
A police statement said: “Due to the short period of time between that contact and this incident, we have made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.” [IOPC].’
The force said the incident was now being treated as a homicide investigation. The exact cause of the deaths, which have been reported to the local coroner, will not be determined until post-mortem examinations are carried out.
Officials are now trying to piece together the exact timeline of the events leading up to the tragedy, but remain confident there is no third-party involvement.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey said: “We are cooperating fully with the IOPC in relation to the referral we have made, and await the outcome of their assessment of what further action may be required.”
Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell County Commander, said the force was “confident that this incident was contained to one address and there is no risk to the general public.”
An IOPC spokesman said: “We have received a reference from Surrey Police about an incident in Epsom on February 5 when an officer in the force had contact with Mr Pattison last week.”
“We are evaluating the available information to determine what, if any, further action is required from us.”
George Pattison was a CPA who loved fast cars. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he married Mrs. Pattison in 2011.
In May 2016, Mr. Pattison called the police alleging that his wife had assaulted him at home and that his wife had slapped him.
He then made a second call to ask the police not to visit him, saying that he had overreacted; however, police attended and arrested Ms. Pattison on suspicion of common assault.
She was questioned and later released without charge.
In the wake of the apparent murder/suicide, the school announced it was closing last night and would remain closed until the end of next week’s half term break.
Parents were notified of the decision to end early for half term in an email sent today.
Paul Williams, the acting chief, said it was time for families “to come together and try to process this shocking news.”
He wrote: ‘The shock and horror of the last few days have been unprecedented. The impact on their children cannot be underestimated and we are doing everything we can to support them in any way they need.’
For confidential support, call Samaritans free from a UK phone on 116 123 or visit www.samaritanos.org for more information.