Richard Scatchard, a convicted sex offender described by a coroner as "devious, cunning and untruthful," had a history of attacking women that spanned four decades before his final victim, Kelly Faiers, died in October 2023. Ms Faiers, 61, from Weston-super-Mare, was unknowingly dating Scatchard, who she knew as Richard Dunlop, and was tragically killed after being coerced into taking an excessive number of sleeping tablets following a period of drinking, an inquest found.
Scatchard, 71, fled within hours of Ms Faiers' death and was later discovered dead in a caravan in Watchet, Somerset. An inquest into his death returned an open conclusion, unable to determine the precise cause. The coroner concluded that Ms Faiers was unlawfully killed, highlighting Scatchard's coercive and controlling behaviour throughout their relationship. Crucially, Scatchard failed to declare his relationship with Ms Faiers to his probation officer, a requirement of his licence conditions, making it difficult for authorities to intervene effectively.
Ms Faiers' family expressed profound anger and frustration that a man with Scatchard's history, who had been jailed twice and was being monitored by the Probation Service and police, was able to prey on their mother. Despite being deemed a low risk of reoffending when he moved to Minehead in 2020, his risk level was later reassessed as medium following licence breaches. He received two final warnings from probation for failing to disclose relationships and for deleting his search history, yet authorities lacked the power to search his home, and he successfully concealed his relationship with Ms Faiers and the use of a second phone.
Kelly's son, Mike, described his mother as "a fun, bubbly woman" whom everyone enjoyed being around, while her daughter Jazz remembered her as "very smiley and positive." The family learned of Scatchard's true identity and past convictions through social media after Ms Faiers' death. They had made several complaints to the police watchdog, with three being upheld. Avon and Somerset Police have since apologised, acknowledging that some decisions made after Ms Faiers' death had a significant impact on her family.
This case underscores the ongoing challenges faced by probation and police services in monitoring high-risk offenders, particularly when individuals actively conceal their activities. The Ministry of Justice stated it is increasing probation and community funding by £700 million to ensure offenders posing the greatest risk receive more intensive supervision. However, the tragic circumstances surrounding Kelly Faiers' death highlight the devastating consequences when such monitoring efforts are circumvented.