'UK - Epsom college head Emma Pattinson, 45, found dead on campus along with husband George, 39, and daughter, Lettie, 7 - 6 Feb 2023

[Sarahlou]

I wonder if she wanted to leave him?

RIP Emma & Lettie

 

[Teeniesmum]

Here in the UK, if you hold a gun licence you can keep you guns at home as long as they are stored in a locked cabinet, which has to be secured to the wall.

Yes I know, but that’s only safe if the owner of the license and holder of the key to the secure cabinet isn’t going to commit murder. How would we ever know if they are or aren’t? I’m questioning why any gun cabinet should be allowed in a house rather than at the shooting range or wherever it is the guns are used, where presumably there would be even greater security.

I agree, I think where guns are used recreationally they should be held at the gun club / shooting range.

 

[steeltowngirl]

'Lettie was perfect in every way': Tributes pour in for seven-year-old

People who knew the family found dead at Epsom College on Sunday have paid tribute to them, with a nursery worker who used to look after daughter Lettie describing her as 'perfect in every way'.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[steeltowngirl]

I wonder if she wanted to leave him?

RIP Emma & Lettie

If only she had… she didn’t get the chance.

 

[ecology1]

George Pattison had not been previously reported to the police, sources reportedly told The Times.

However, in 2016 he reported his wife to Surrey police for allegedly striking him, the newspaper claimed.

She was spoken to by officers but her husband quickly withdrew the complaint, saying it was trivial.

Source:

Police 'probe if Epsom head was killed by husband in murder-suicide'

Emergency services were reportedly alerted by a member of staff who had heard gunshots at the £42,000-a-year independent school in Surrey at around 1am.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Sarahlou]

George Pattison had not been previously reported to the police, sources reportedly told The Times.

However, in 2016 he reported his wife to Surrey police for allegedly striking him, the newspaper claimed.

She was spoken to by officers but her husband quickly withdrew the complaint, saying it was trivial.

Source:

Police 'probe if Epsom head was killed by husband in murder-suicide'

Emergency services were reportedly alerted by a member of staff who had heard gunshots at the £42,000-a-year independent school in Surrey at around 1am.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Well that's interesting. Sounds like they might have had a pretty volatile relationship.

 

[iamshadow21]

I wonder if she wanted to leave him?

RIP Emma & Lettie

I wonder if Epsom School was meant to be a fresh start for Emma and Lettie alone, but they reconciled, so suddenly it was all three of them there instead. Might explain the job thing with him, if he quit and found a job closer to the school.

MOO

 

[3point5]

Here in the UK, if you hold a gun licence you can keep you guns at home as long as they are stored in a locked cabinet, which has to be secured to the wall.

Yes I know, but that’s only safe if the owner of the license and holder of the key to the secure cabinet isn’t going to commit murder. How would we ever know if they are or aren’t? I’m questioning why any gun cabinet should be allowed in a house rather than at the shooting range or wherever it is the guns are used, where presumably there would be even greater security.

The issue can often be that people use multiple ranges. The owner of this firearm may use the college range, along with his own gun club range. That would make it very difficult to store at a single range.

It's also a liability thing for the range. They're quite public places. If they were full to the brim of guns, you'd end up with lots of gangs trying to break in. By storing them at owners houses, and the register of owners being private, that's a lot harder.

 

[SurreySleuthy]

The issue can often be that people use multiple ranges. The owner of this firearm may use the college range, along with his own gun club range. That would make it very difficult to store at a single range.

It's also a liability thing for the range. They're quite public places. If they were full to the brim of guns, you'd end up with lots of gangs trying to break in. By storing them at owners houses, and the register of owners being private, that's a lot harder.

Ah. Thank you, I hadn’t thought of that.

 

[Teeniesmum]

Apologies the link is the Daily Mail, but this article details Emma had made a distressed call to a relative who wasn't in time to save them, how horrific. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

 

[iamshadow21]

Apologies the link is the Daily Mail, but this article details Emma had made a distressed call to a relative who wasn't in time to save them, how horrific. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

I think that link is just to the 'front page' - can you see if you can grab the link to the individual story?

 

[sriraaacha]

Damn, just hearing about this case now. I wonder if she spoke about any relationship problems with anyone or even the reason as to why she called the relative the night before? I guess it'll be revealed if so. Such a sad situation though for everyone involved.

 

[Sarahlou]

I wonder why she called a relative and not the police? Not judging in any way, just curious.

 

[RickshawFan]

I think that link is just to the 'front page' - can you see if you can grab the link to the individual story?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

No worries that it's the Daily Mail. The Guardian is reporting the same detail:

News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition | The Guardian

Latest US news, world news, sports, business, opinion, analysis and reviews from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice

www.theguardian.com

 

[Teeniesmum]

I think that link is just to the 'front page' - can you see if you can grab the link to the individual story?

oh sorry, try this this Police 'probe if Epsom head was killed by husband in murder-suicide'

 

[3point5]

How absolutely heartbreaking.

 

[iamshadow21]

I wonder why she called a relative and not the police? Not judging in any way, just curious.

A lot of people in dangerous or frightening situations automatically call a loved one when they should call emergency services. It's a thing. Your brain is in crisis mode, not logic mode, and defaults to people you know and trust rather than qualified strangers. You're right not to judge her at all for it, since a lot of us would likely do exactly the same thing, even though it makes no sense. Brains are strange.

MOO

 

[Sarahlou]

A lot of people in dangerous or frightening situations automatically call a loved one when they should call emergency services. It's a thing. Your brain is in crisis mode, not logic mode, and defaults to people you know and trust rather than qualified strangers. You're right not to judge her at all for it, since a lot of us would likely do exactly the same thing, even though it makes no sense. Brains are strange.

MOO

Yep that makes sense. And sadly no matter who she called it was unlikely to make any difference to the outcome.

 

[iamshadow21]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

No worries that it's the Daily Mail. The Guardian is reporting the same detail:

News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's US edition | The Guardian

Latest US news, world news, sports, business, opinion, analysis and reviews from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice

www.theguardian.com

That's also the front page, not the article! The link gremlins are on the loose.

 

[Teeniesmum]

I wonder why she called a relative and not the police? Not judging in any way, just curious.

Maybe it was a relative of her husband and she thought they could calm him down? sadly she may felt embarassed having to call the police to the school, certainly as a new headmistress she could have been thinking of the scene it could have caused and harmed her professional image and that of the school, surmising of course and all to no avail now