The head of Epsom College hosted what has been described as an 'intimate' dinner party for friends just hours before apparently being shot by her husband, according to reports. Police believe Emma Pattison, 45, was killed by her husband, George Pattison, at their new home in the prestigious private school's grounds in Surrey last weekend.
The 39-year-old apparently then murdered their seven-year-old daughter Lettie before finally turning the gun on himself. The bodies of all three were discovered by police at the property in the early hours of Sunday. Police say they aren't looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
Mrs Pattison's friends have spoken of having been at a get-together at the address on the Saturday evening, during which they claim to have had 'no inkling' that anything was wrong. According to The Sun, one guest said: "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."
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Mrs Pattison and her daughter had moved into the college accommodation after she was appointed its first ever female head five months ago. Her husband is believed to have been dividing his time between that address and the family's former home 15 miles away in Caterham while the latter's sale was being finalised.
The Times recently reported that Mrs Pattison had contacted a close relative with concerns about her husband in the hours before the alleged murder-suicide took place. George Pattison had also been in touch with Surrey Police just days before the killings with regards to changing the address details on his gun licence, something he'd apparently held for years.
In addition, the newspaper said that, while Mr Pattison had not been previously known to Surrey Police, he had rung 999 in 2016 to allege that his wife had hit him. However, according to Sky News, he withdrew the claim minutes later, saying that he'd "over-reacted."
On Tuesday Surrey Police confirmed that officers had launched a homicide investigation into the tragedy. A spokesperson added that, while a gun was found at the scene, the causes of death will not be confirmed until post-mortem examinations are carried out.
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