George Pattison, who is believed to have murdered his wife Emma Pattison and daughter Lettie before killing himself, died of a shotgun wound to the head, the inquest opening into his death has heard at Surrey Coroner’s Court. The three were found dead at their home in the grounds of Epsom College, Surrey, on February 5 after Mrs Pattison, 45, made a distressed call to her sister.
Opening the inquest into Mr Pattison’s death on Tuesday, coroner Simon Wickens said: “I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to George’s wider family at this difficult time.”
Coroner’s officer, Kelly Truss, told Surrey Coroner’s Court Mr Pattison’s post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr Ashley Fegan-Earle at East Surrey Hospital three days after the shooting.
She said the cause of death was given as a “shotgun wound to the head”.
Surrey Police has not revealed details of how the family died, but a firearm which was legally registered to Mr Pattison, 39, was found at the scene.
The statement added: “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.
“Emma had a warm, welcoming smile and sparkling, blue eyes, full of optimism. Over the last 11 days we’ve noticed the sky has been bright blue, with at times a warm glow of pink.”
Mrs Pattison became Epsom’s first female head in September 2022 after six years as headteacher at Croydon High School in south London.
The new headteacher of Epsom College vowed recently to honour the legacy of his predecessor.
Sir Anthony Seldon, a former Vice-Chancellor at Buckingham University and a former Master of Wellington College, is to take up the role from March 1 until September 2024, when a permanent head will be installed.
He said: “I am committed to ensuring Emma’s legacy is honoured and that Epsom College moves forward in the manner she intended.
“This is what Emma would have wanted for all the pupils and staff she had worked with, supported, and for whom she had such high hopes.
“Emma was driven, ambitious and courageous – there is no better way to respect her memory than for Epsom College to forge ahead and embody the values that guided her life.”
Mr Wickens fixed a date for a pre-inquest review hearing on June 27.
