15 January 2024 , 14:03
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The family of a “very loving and trusting” woman who was killed in the home of a sex offender have shared their fury at the police investigation after her death.
Kelly Faiers, 61, met Richard Scatchard on a dating app and on October 14 last year went to the The Duke of Wellington pub, in Minehead, on the evening of Saturday 14 October. In the early hours of the next morning Scatchard called 999 and said Kelly was critically ill.
She was pronounced dead by paramedics at the home but when police arrived to interview Scatchard he had fled the scene and remains missing to this day. He was revealed as a “prolific user of dating apps” who has previous convictions of sexual offences in which he administered drugs to his victims to enable his crimes.
Kelly’s family have criticised the response by Avon & Somerset Police. Jazz Faiers, 27, told the BBC: “When they released his surname I was at work. I saw it on Facebook and started googling his name. That's how we found out about Richard Scatchard's convictions as a sex offender. We were annoyed we weren't told the second they realised it was suspicious. There's no closure at the moment - no even half closure - there's no answers until he is found."
The force referred itself to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), after the family’s formal complaint. Scatchard remains on the run, despite at least 90 sightings since Kelly’s death last year. In the latest press release on the crime, the Force said: “Scatchard is wanted on a recall to prison. We also want to talk to him in connection with a murder enquiry, after the death of 61-year-old Kelly Faiers at his home, in Minehead, during the early hours of Sunday 15 October.
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Kelly was found dead in Scatchard's home (Avon and Somerset Constabulary / SWNS)
A man hunt for Scatchard is continuing (western daily press)“The 70-year-old is considered a risk to the public, specifically women he forms relationships with. He is a regular user of dating apps and has previously been convicted of sexual offences in which he administered drugs to his victims to enable his crimes.”
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Gary Haskins said at the time: “The forensic post-mortem examination carried out shortly after Kelly’s death proved inconclusive. We desperately want to provide Kelly’s family with the answers they deserve as soon as we can.
“The other equally important focus we have, which we particularly want the public’s help with, is the search for Scatchard. We are hugely appreciative of everyone who has sought to help our enquiries, from people calling in with information to locals putting in their business windows the wanted posters the Minehead neighbourhood team has distributed. We have also had constructive conversations with the National Crime Agency who are providing us support with these searches, for which we are grateful.
"Ultimately, the best chance of us apprehending Scatchard is by a member of the public calling in with key information about his whereabouts. This may be through a chance sighting or even someone who has previously been reluctant to come forward – either way we’d please encourage those people to call 999.”
A spokesman for the Force said: "We continue to conduct searches to find Richard Scatchard, who is wanted on a prison recall and who we wish to speak to in connection with the death of Kelly Faiers in Minehead in October. We have made a number of public appeals and a Crimestoppers reward remains live for information that could lead to his arrest. We urge anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact us.
"As previously stated, Scatchard is considered a risk to the public, specifically women he forms relationships with. He is a regular user of dating apps and has previously been convicted of sexual offences in which he administered drugs to his victims to enable his crimes. We have received a large number of reported sightings of Scatchard since he was last seen on the morning of Monday 16 October. These have been reviewed, but none have been confirmed as the 70-year-old.
"The National Crime Agency has been supporting our efforts to locate Scatchard by providing specialist advice to help us develop our continuing search plans in a bid to find him. Kelly's death continues to be treated as a murder inquiry at this time. Family liaison officers are in regular contact with her family to keep them updated and to provide support.
"We can confirm we have recently received a complaint from Kelly's family in respect to the police response. The complaint has been voluntarily referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on Thursday 4 January. Our Professional Standards Department was made aware of the incident and our response at an early stage and we will assist the IOPC in any way we can in relation to the complaint received."