Epsom College’s headteacher, Emma Pattison, and her seven-year-old daughter, Lettie, were unlawfully killed by her husband during a shotgun rampage before he turned the weapon on himself, a coroner has ruled.
Emma Pattison, 45, and her daughter, Lettie, were found dead at their home within the grounds of the exclusive £42,000-a-year boarding school in Surrey in February last year. The body of George Pattison, 39, was also found at the scene.
An inquest previously revealed that Mrs Pattison died of shotgun wounds to the chest and abdomen on February 5, 2023, while little Lettie was shot in the head. Both are believed to have been murdered by Mr Pattison, a chartered accountant before he killed himself with the double-barreled firearm.
Richard Travers, Senior Coroner for Surrey, today concluded that Emma and Lettie were unlawfully killed, having been shot by Pattison. He also concluded that Pattison died by suicide and intended the act.
In a tribute shared by the police, Bebe King’s family said: “No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe.
The family of Alice Dasilva Aguiar said: “Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do our princess, like we said before to you, you’re always our princess and no one would change that. Love from Your Hero Daddy and Mummy.”
The coroner’s verdict comes as the court heard evidence from Deborah Kirk, Emma Pattison’s sister. Ms. Kirk testified that she received a phone call from her sister just before 11 pm on February 4, during which Emma said her husband had hit her and their dog, Bella. Emma’s tone was one of concern but not terror, indicating that she had assessed the situation and did not feel safe.
Ms. Kirk and her husband, Mark Miller, immediately took an Uber to Emma’s home. Upon arrival, they found all the lights on and the cars in the driveway. Mark entered the house first and quickly prevented Deborah from entering further, urging her to stay outside. He then called an ambulance, and paramedics arrived shortly afterwards.
In a statement read out to the court, Ms. Kirk paid tribute to her sister and niece, describing Emma as “lightness itself” and “smart and kind in a way that fills a room and drives change.” She described Lettie as “razor smart, curious, and disarmingly cute.
Ms. Kirk also spoke of her struggle to forgive Mr. Pattison: “I can only speak for myself when I say that I am trying to forgive you. I can only imagine that you were in an extraordinary hell of your own.”
The inquest revealed that Emma had spent the hours before her death watching rugby with friends and had received a Chinese takeaway delivery at 9:36 pm. The delivery driver noted that she appeared “smiley” and “okay.”
A post-mortem report confirmed that Mr. Pattison’s cause of death was a shotgun wound and that he had 243 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, a level associated with “high to extreme” intoxication.
A statement released by Mrs. Pattison and Lettie’s family after their deaths said: “To see the esteem in which Emma is held by all who knew her is an enormous comfort. She was everything one could hope for in a daughter, sister, mother, wife, friend, teacher, and so much more. We are an extremely close family, and family was at the centre of Emma and Lettie’s universe. The Epsom College community had become part of that universe for them both. Seven-year-old Lettie was Emma’s pride and joy – an adorable, vibrant little girl with a compelling curiosity, a heart-melting smile, and an intellect beyond her years. The two of them were inseparable, and we take comfort in that they will remain so.”
