Inquest to begin into death of Somerset woman believed to have been killed by partner
Sixty-one year old Kelly Faiers died in October 2023 at the home of 70-year-old Richard Scatchard, a convicted sex offender
An inquest begins today at Somerset Coroner's Court into the death of a Weston-super-Mare woman believed to have been killed by her partner - who was later also found dead after a police manhunt.
Sixty-one year old Kelly Faiers died in October 2023 at the Minehead home of 70-year-old Richard Scatchard.
Scatchard, who had previously been convicted of sexual offences in which he administered drugs to victims, disappeared the next day and was found dead months later in a caravan.
Kelly's family will be hoping this inquest gives long-awaited answers.
They've already had an apology from Avon and Somerset Police, after the watchdog last year found 'multiple police failings' in the murder investigation.
"Tragic circumstances"
Convicted sex offender Scatchard called the ambulance service on 15th October 2023 after Kelly fell critically ill.
Emergency services attended Scatchard's home, where paramedics pronounced Kelly dead.
Avon and Somerset Police attended the scene and spoke with Mr Scatchard, but didn't question or arrest him, despite his previous convictions.
Officers who spoke to him said they had concerns about his behaviour and had considered arresting him, but they were advised by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) not to and that Kelly's death should not be treated as suspicious.
The next day, a murder investigation was launched, but when officers returned to Scatchard's home, he'd disappeared.
In a report released last year, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) ruled that the service provided to the family by the force following Kelly's death was 'unacceptable'.
The IOPC upheld two more complaints from the family focused on an 'unacceptable level of service related to failings in communications'.
Kelly's family were not told for nine days that Mr Scatchard had been at the property at the time of her death and it took two days for the family to be informed police were treating her death as suspicious.
They were only told the day after a missing person appeal had been issued for Mr Scatchard on 17th October.
Mr Scatchard’s name was also later released to media before the family were notified of either his full name or his offending history.
"Could and should have done better"
Speaking when the report was published in October 2025, IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “Avon and Somerset Police could and should have done better in the tragic circumstances of this case.
"We found the service provided by the force was unacceptable regarding three individual officers, whose actions and decisions fell below expectations.
"While we did not find any evidence to indicate they may have breached police standards of professional behaviour, justifying disciplinary proceedings, we decided the officers should reflect and learn from the failings we identified and they will undergo the reflective practice review process (RPRP).”
"We recognise the additional distress experienced by Ms Faiers’ family"
The force responded to the IOPC report back in October with an apology.
A police spokesperson said: "We would like to apologise to Kelly Faiers’ family for the impact of several of the decisions made by Avon and Somerset Police during the course of our enquiries into her death...
"We recognise the additional distress experienced by Ms Faiers’ family at learning of Mr Scatchard’s criminal record through an online search and by not disclosing sooner he was at the address and spoken to by officers when police initially attended.
"This was information that should have been privately communicated to Mrs Faiers’ family in a sensitive way and at an appropriate time."