Epsom College – latest: Murdered headteacher’s husband ran failed firm before deaths

Pupils and staff at a prestigious private school in Surrey have been rocked by the news that their headteacher had been found dead with her husband and young daughter.

Emma Pattison, 45, and her husband George, 39, were found alongside seven-year-old Lettie at the £42,000 per year Epsom College, Epsom, early on Sunday morning.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the deaths but that no one else was involved.

Described as a “wonderful teacher” and a “delightful person” who had a “distinguished career”, Ms Pattison was appointed head of Epsom in September last year.

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Staff and pupils at an elite private school are grieving after their headteacher was found dead with her husband and seven-year-old daughter.

Epsom College head Emma Pattison, 45, husband George, 39, and daughter Lettie were found on school grounds in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Ms Pattison was just six months into her post as the school’s first female head. Described as a “wonderful teacher” and a “delightful person”, she presided over the education of almost 1,000 pupils.

“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 a statement on Sunday. “Our thoughts, condolences and sympathies are with their families at this tragic time.”

Police believe that the husband of Epsom College headteacher Emma Pattison shot his wife and daughter dead just days after they spoke to him on the phone about his gun licence.

George Pattison was found dead alongside his wife and seven-year-old daughter Lettie at their home on the grounds of the private school in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Investigators said a gun registered to Mr Pattison was found at the scene, but that the causes of death would not be officially confirmed until post-mortem examinations have been completed.

He had been in contact with Surrey Police over his firearms licence just over two days before the killings, and the force has referred itself to the police watchdog.

A private school where the headteacher was found dead alongside her husband and their daughter will reportedly close until after the half-term break as police conduct a homicide investigation.

Emma Pattison, 45, was found dead with her husband George Pattison, 39, and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie at their home in the grounds of Epsom College in Surrey on Sunday.

Acting headmaster Paul Williams announced on Tuesday that the school will close until after the half-term break following the “incredibly distressing” details about how Mrs Pattison died, according to the BBC.

Pupils and staff at a prestigious private school in Surrey have been rocked by the news that their headteacher had been found dead with her husband and young daughter.

Emma Pattison, 45, and her husband George, 39, were found alongside seven-year-old Lettie at the £42,000 per year Epsom College, Epsom, early on Sunday morning.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the deaths, but have indicated that it appears licensed gun-owner George Pattison shot his wife and child before killing himself.

George Pattison reported his wife to Surrey Police for allegedly striking him in 2016, sources have told The Times.

Emma Pattison was spoken to by officers before her husband quickly withdrew the complaint, saying it was trivial.

He is believed to have been a licensed gun owner for several years and his firearms certificate was renewed last year, The Times reported, citing sources as emphasising that there were no red flags on his record.

Staff and pupils at an elite private school are grieving after their headteacher was found dead with her husband and seven-year-old daughter.

Epsom College head Emma Pattison, 45, husband George, 39, and daughter Lettie were found on school grounds in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Surrey Police says it is treating the family’s deaths as an “isolated incident”, indicating there was no third-party involvement.

Police have been accused by domestic rights activists of ignoring a pattern of violence against women after it described the Epsom College deaths as an “isolated incident”.

Following police suspicion that George Pattison could have shot his wife and their daughter before killing himself, the police response has sparked criticism from a section of people.

David Challen, who led a campaign to free his mother Salley Challen from prison for murdering his abusive father, criticised the police’s choice of words.

“When police call the event of a man killing women as an ‘isolated incident’ it is a refusal to connect it to the pattern of male violence against women,” he told Yahoo News UK.

“It is a refusal to recognise that every three days in the UK, a woman is murdered by her partner or ex-partner and that male violence is a daily lived threat that women face.”

The husband of Epsom College’s headteacher wanted to start a wine importing company as he wanted to be more than an accountant, reported the Telegraph.

George Pattison, 39, is suspected of killing Emma Pattison and their seven-year-old daughter Lettie before killing himself.

A presentation for his business pitch, obtained by the newspaper, reveals that he launched a company named Castle Street Vinters, a “specialist importer of high quality, low yield wines”.

He started the business with his Australian friend and described himself as a “career accountant desperate to do something better with his days”.

He said he worked “in a variety of industries including corporate finance, investment management and financial consultancy”.

“My love affair with wine started on my first trip to Burgundy, where I found a few wines that not only captured the natural characteristics of the grapes but elevated them – this was a life-changing experience for me,” he wrote.

It was reportedly closed in 2016.

Emma Pattison should not be seen as the “victim of a cowardly man” but remembered for her talents, Helen Walker, who knew the headteacher for 16 years, said.

Speaking to The Times, Ms Walker said: “It should really be about her. I don’t want to speculate on him in any way. I want people to envisage her and her daughter in a happy place.”

The pair reportedly met when they worked as part-time ski holiday reps in Mühlbach, Austria. Ms Walker said she was not aware of any domestic issues in Ms Pattison’s marriage.

She also shared a picture of Ms Pattison and Lettie, her seven-year-old daughter, paddling on Walberswick beach, Suffolk, four years ago.

“My post was about her light,” she said. “It’s a bit like when you have a terrorist attack. You shouldn’t focus on the perpetrator. You should focus on the victims.”