The husband of Emma Pattison said he was "desperate to do more with his days" before he died.
On Sunday, February 5, Emma Pattinson, 45, her husband George, 39, and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie were found dead at their homes on the grounds of Epsom College in Surrey on Sunday. Police confirmed they had launched a homicide investigation and said George Pattinson legally owned a gun found at the scene, reports The Mirror.
The deaths are now being investigated as a possible murder suicide where George Pattinson killed his wife, who studied in Leeds, and their daughter before turning his weapon on himself. In a presenting pitch for a wine-import company, George said he was "desperate to do more with his days", and Emma said she was looking forward to an "exciting future", six days before her death.
The 39-year-old accountant's wine business has been described in the MailOnline as 'doomed' and that he's endured a history of business woes. He had most recently set up firm Tanglewood in 2016, and took out a £14,000 director's loan in 2021. Mr Pattison was listed as the sole director for Tanglewood.
He also said he worked in "in a variety of industries including corporate finance, investment management and financial consultancy".
Meanwhile, Land Registry documents show 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, which they then renovated.
His wife Emma, who studied at University of Leeds, had reportedly contacted her sister with concerns about her husband in the hours before the killings. Sadly, when she arrived at the house she found all three members of the family dead.
Mrs Pattinson moved to Epsom college, where she was the head teacher, with her daughter Lexie in September 2021. Her husband remained living in their £1.5million Caterham home. Neighbours report that George has been "flitting between" both the college and their property before their family home was sold.
The night before the deaths, Mrs Pattinson hosted a dinner party with friends. A friend of the family told the Sun: "On Saturday night they threw a dinner party. It was quite an intimate affair and literally turned out to be their last supper. Nothing unusual happened. There were no arguments, no indication he would go on to do something so horrific a short time later."
A neighbour also paid tribute to the young girl, telling The Telegraph: "You used to hear her playing in the garden, she was always asking them questions and just seemed like a happy, inquisitive little girl." Another resident said: "She was just a typical, well brought-up, lovely little girl. It’s just tragic."
Emma's former colleagues all released a statement after the news broke in memory of their "dear friend". They said they were "immensely shocked and saddened" by her death.
Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey, senior investigating officer on the case, said: "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.
"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."
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