Epsom College head teacher ‘made anguished call to sister minutes before she and daughter shot dead’

The Epsom College headmistress made an anguished phone call to her sister minutes before she and her daughter were shot dead by her husband, the Mail reports.

Emma Pattison’s desperate call to her sister Deborah Kirk and her husband prompted relatives to jump into a car and drive her to Surrey.

But tragically, they arrived too late and discovered her body, as well as that of her husband George, 39, and the couple’s seven-year-old daughter, Lettie.

Mr Pattison shot his wife and son to death before turning the gun on himself at his mercy at home on school grounds in the early hours of Sunday, police believe.

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.

Although Ms. Pattison moved in at her grace and favor when she started working last September, the family handed over the keys to their old home just a few weeks ago.

It was suggested that Mr Pattison had continued to live at the family’s previous address for months after his wife took up her new role as Epsom College’s first female Principal.

Neighbors in Caterham said Mrs Pattison, nor her daughter, had been seen since last summer, but Mr Pattison had spent time living at the property until the £1.5m sale was completed. sterling last month.

One said: “I could see the lights on at night and her car was nearby, but never hers.”

Last night, Zoe Roberts, a teacher at Caterham School, where her friend Mrs Pattison also used to teach, said: “It’s tragic and we wish this never happened.”

‘She was beautiful, inside and out. She was just the most wonderful person. We can’t put it into words right now, it’s too raw. We are still working it out. It is simply a tragic loss.

A former neighbor added: “I wasn’t sure if anyone had moved in because I had seen George recently.” I saw it in the run up to Christmas.

He was alone, Emma and Lettie were not with him.

‘His BMW 8 Series was parked in the driveway. Emma drove a 4×4 but I hadn’t seen that in a while.

“Actually, the last time I spoke to Emma was just before she got the job at Epsom College because she was telling me how she just got it and is going to be headmistress of this big and prestigious school.

He hadn’t seen her or her daughter since that day and that must have been early last summer. I think she moved in before George.

The new owners arrived about three weeks ago and just before they moved in, a removal company had removed the last remaining furniture belonging to Emma and George from the house.

It was George who handed over the keys to the estate agents. I think he had been hovering between that house and the property in Epsom’

Sources told the Mail there was no reason to suspect Mr Pattison as he had no criminal record and has had his firearms license for “many years”.

The only time the family is known to have been called by police was in 2016, over the allegations Pattison made against his wife.

He called the police complaining that she had slapped him during a domestic dispute. It is understood that she regretted making the call and brushed it off as a trivial matter when officers arrived, claiming she did not realize what would happen.

Surrey Police took the matter seriously and the Mail understands that Ms Pattison was interviewed under precaution with a lawyer present. The case was dropped because her husband was uncooperative.

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 medical examiner, will not be determined until post-mortem examinations have been 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 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 director, 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.’