Editor
An allegation of assault by a person who went on to kill his spouse and daughter at Epsom College was “clearly half” of his controlling behaviour, police have mentioned.
George Pattison shot Emma Pattison and their seven-year-old daughter, Lettie, in February final 12 months. Their our bodies have been discovered at their dwelling on the varsity grounds, the place Mrs Pattison was head trainer.
In 2016, Mr Pattison contacted police to say he had been assaulted by his spouse. No motion was taken as a result of a scarcity of proof.
Surrey Police mentioned that on the time it didn’t establish any abuse by Mr Pattison, however has now mentioned the allegation he made in opposition to his spouse was a part of his controlling behaviour.
Ch Supt Clive Davies mentioned: “The allegation of assault made by Mr Pattison in opposition to Mrs Pattison in 2016 was investigated totally on the time and coercive controlling behaviour was not recognized.
“Although Mrs Pattison by no means made any allegations of home abuse or coercive controlling behaviour in opposition to her husband, our understanding and response to coercive controlling behaviour is considerably extra superior now, and our officers and employees are educated to recognise the indicators, the murder timeline and high-risk elements.
“Looked at by way of the lens of what in the end occurred, the incident in 2016 was clearly a part of Mr Pattison’s controlling behaviour.”
Ch Supt Davies mentioned the deaths of Mrs Pattison and Lettie highlighted the necessity to dispel the myths and stereotypes of who might or is probably not victims of home abuse, and people able to doing it.
The assertion by Surrey Police got here in response to a prevention of future deaths report which discovered that Mr Pattison lied about his nervousness prognosis to be able to get his shotgun licence renewed.
