Emma Pattison: Epsom College headmistress, 45, made frantic call to sister moments before murder-suicide
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
LONDON, ENGLAND: Emma Pattison reportedly made a distressed phone call to her sister just moments before she and her daughter were shot dead by her husband. The beloved headmistress of Epsom College, 45, called her sister, Deborah Kirk, and her husband just minutes before the tragedy, prompting them to immediately drive out to her home in Surrey.
However, the concerned relatives arrived too late and tragically discovered her body alongside those of her husband George, 39, and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie. George is said to have fatally shot Pattison and Lettie before turning the gun on himself in their grace-and-favor home on the school grounds in the early hours of Sunday, February 5, police said.
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Pattison and her family moved into their home on the Epsom College grounds in September 2022 after she was appointed the college's first-ever woman headteacher, as per Daily Mail. Neighbors of the family's former residence in Caterham, reportedly said that her car had not been seen there since her promotion, but George's BMW was parked on the drive in the days leading up to Christmas, indicating he moved out later.
"Emma was really nice and charming. She would talk over the fence. George was much quieter, much more introverted," a neighbor said, adding, "He seemed older than 39, he looked and acted like someone approaching 50, not 40. His dress sense was almost like a country gent. Over the last year or so I never really saw him go to work. I think he may have worked at home a bit but I got the impression he had a lot of time on his hands. I'd see him through the window drinking glasses of red wine in his new kitchen extension." The new owners of the Pattisons' original home moved in about three weeks ago, shortly after a removal van was seen picking up the final pieces of furniture from the residence.
Pattison spoke of how her life had transitioned in recent months after she took on her new role. "In terms of transition, it’s been a really big change for my family. We’ve moved house - we’ve bought a dog," she said in a since-deleted student podcast, adding, "I’ve got a new job, my husband has got a new job, that wasn’t meant to happen but it did and my daughter has started a new school so there’s been a lot of change for us as a family." She gushed that she "hadn't looked back" since entering into teaching and told the podcast that "working with you people keeps you young, they keep you energized."
Surrey Police confirmed that George Pattison, a licensed shotgun holder for many years, had called the force in the days leading up to the murder-suicide. The agency subsequently referred itself to the police watchdog IOPC as a matter of protocol. "This is an incredibly traumatic incident and we are working around the clock to investigate and understand the exact circumstances which led to this point," Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, the senior investigating officer on the case, said in a statement. "We understand the public concern and upset, and we will clarify what we can when we can while respecting the right to a level of privacy for the families of those who have lost their lives. We are cooperating fully with the IOPC in relation to the referral we have made, and we await the outcome of its assessment of what further action may be required. Until this has been completed, we will be unable to provide further details on a number of matters."
George was reportedly a chartered accountant born in Kingston, Jamaica. He tied the knot with Emma in 2011. Epsom College announced it would remain closed until the end of next week's half-term holiday in the wake of the tragedy.
"It is with the deepest sadness and regret that we have to announce the news of the deaths of Emma Pattison, Head of Epsom College, her daughter Lettie, and her husband George," the school said in a statement in light of the loss. "Our thoughts, condolences, and sympathies are with their families at this tragic time. The College is working with the police in what remains an ongoing investigation. We must now focus on the welfare and wellbeing of our pupils and staff, and work to ensure that they receive all the comfort, warmth, and support required from the Epsom College community."