Epsom College head teacher 'made anguished call to sister minutes before she and daughter shot dead'

The headmistress of Epsom College made a distressed phone call to her sister minutes before she and her daughter were shot dead by her husband, the Mail understands.

Emma Pattison’s frantic call to her sister Deborah Kirk and her husband prompted relatives to jump into a car and drive out to her in Surrey. 

Mr Pattison shot dead his wife and their child before turning the gun on himself in their grace and favour home on the school grounds in the early hours of Sunday, police believe.

Surrey Police has referred itself to the independent watchdog over the triple shooting after it emerged they had been in touch with Mr Pattison just days before.

The killer had been a licenced shotgun holder for many years and officers had called him to check on the storage for his firearm last Thursday. Officers did not visit the premises.

Home Office regulations state that gun-owners must notify police of any change of address as soon as they move.

Though Mrs Pattison moved into her grace and favour home when she started her job last September, the family only handed over the keys to their old house a few weeks ago.

It was suggested Mr Pattison had continued to live at the family’s previous address for months after his wife took up her new post as the first female head at Epsom College.

Source of data and images: dailymail