Police visited home of Epsom College head over 2016 domestic row

The head teacher of Epsom College, who was killed by her husband, was reported to police in 2016 for allegedly hitting him.

Emma Pattison, 45, was found dead alongside her seven-year-old daughter Lettie and husband in the early hours of Sunday.

George Pattison is believed to have shot the pair before killing himself.

Seven years earlier, the BBC understands he reported an alleged domestic assault to Surrey Police.

Mrs Pattison was questioned by officers, but no further action was taken against her.

Although Mr Pattison's gun licence had been recently updated, and officers made contact with him about that, the force said neither he nor his wife were subject to an ongoing investigation.

Since the shooting, tributes have poured in for Mrs Pattison, who became the first female head of the private Epsom College only five months ago, after six years as head teacher of Croydon High School in south London.

One former colleague at Croydon, Cheryl Giovannoni, described her as "adored" and a "real inspiration".

Mrs Pattison is understood to have called a relative some time late on Saturday evening, but by the time the family member arrived, all three of them were dead.

Police said an investigation was being carried out to establish the full chronology and circumstances of the incident.

They confirmed a firearm, licensed and registered to 39-year-old chartered accountant Mr Pattison, had been found at the scene and had been recovered by officers.

However, the causes of death will not be confirmed until post-mortem examinations have been completed later this week.

Surrey Police said it had made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its recent contact with Mr Pattison.