Coroner calls to close gun-licensing loophole after Epsom College murders
45 year old Emma Pattison was found dead alongside seven-year-old daughter Lettie in February 2023
A coroner has called on the government to tighten gun-licensing laws after the former head of Epsom College and her daughter were murdered.
Emma Pattison, 45, was found dead alongside her seven-year-old daughter, Lettie, in the grounds of the Surrey school on 5 February 2023. Mrs Pattison’s husband, George Pattison, 39, is believed to have shot them at their home before killing himself.
The inquest, which concluded in July, found that George Pattison was legally allowed a shotgun under a firearms licence, but he had lied about his medical history in renewing his application. Richard Travers, senior coroner for Surrey, warned in a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) report that “a risk of other deaths will continue to exist” unless gun ownership laws are tightened.
Between 2019 and 2021 George Pattison used an online service to prescribe him “significant amounts” of the drug propranolol to help him with symptoms of anxiety, according to the coroner’s report. This was without the knowledge of his GP.
He was then able to lie to Surrey Police about his mental health condition during safeguarding checks on his gun-licence renewal application in 2022. When he was asked if he had been diagnosed or treated for medical conditions, which included ‘Depression or anxiety’, he responded ‘No’. Although his GP’s details were included in the form, they had no knowledge of George Pattison’s use of online medical services.
Coroner Travers has raised the alarm that online doctors can be used as a loophole for those seeking a gun licence to avoid medical health checks which are meant to be safeguards. These medical checks followed from a PFD report in 2019 where a mother and daughter, Christine and Lucy Lee, were killed after police failed to assess the risk of returning guns back to John Lowe.
He also raised concerns that controlling and coercive behaviour should be considered in gun licensing after a direct plea from Emma Pattison’s family during the hearing. Coroner Travers called for police leaders and the government to explore how licensing authorities could obtain details about an applicant’s history of coercive controlling behaviour.
George Pattison had first gained a licence in 2012, which was then renewed in 2016 and finally 2022. Surrey Police were notified of a domestic violence incident in 2016, where it was alleged that Emma Pattison had assaulted her husband. The issue was investigated and, according to the PFD report, the shotgun certificate was temporarily removed, but later returned.
Coroner Travers highlighted it appeared there was no consideration by Surrey Police “whether this might have been an example of coercive controlling behaviour on the part of Mr Pattison”. But, he added, there was evidence of later domestic abuse or coercive controlling behaviour. This evidence did not seem to be brought to the attention of the Licensing Officer when Mr Pattison applied to renew his licence.
Under current guidance, a GP has to confirm to the police whether an applicant has any relevant medical conditions, including mental health conditions. GPs often have digital markers on patient records if they have a gun licence to help monitor physical and mental health.
The PFD report has been sent to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, and the chief constable of Surrey police, Tim De Meyer. Coroner Travers has called on the government departments to take action to prevent future deaths. He has also sent it to the National Police Chiefs’ Council and British Medical Association. The authorities have a duty to respond to PFDs within 56 days.