In 2024, the discovery of a body in a caravan confirmed the death of Richard Scatchard, a convicted sex offender who had been a fugitive for six months. The investigation established that Scatchard was the primary suspect in the death of Kelly Faiers, who died at his home in Minehead in October 2023. The prosecution of his criminal history reported that Scatchard was a serial predator with previous convictions for drugging women with the intent to sexually assault them, identifying him as one of the UK’s most dangerous wanted men at the time of his disappearance.
The investigation established that Avon and Somerset Police had initially questioned Scatchard at the scene of Ms Faiers’ death but allowed him to leave, after which he immediately absconded. The prosecution reported that he remained at large for half a year despite a massive nationwide manhunt. On 6 April 2024, police confirmed that his body was found in a caravan near Watchet, Somerset, ending the search but leaving the family of the victim without a final judicial resolution.
POLICE WATCHDOG REFERRAL AND SERIAL OFFENDING
The court of public opinion and the victim’s family raised serious questions regarding how a known serial sex offender was permitted to vanish following a suspected murder. The investigation established that Scatchard used his knowledge of the local terrain to evade detection for months. The prosecution reported that Avon and Somerset Constabulary has since referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to the serial failures in the initial handling of the case and the delay in identifying Scatchard as a high-risk threat.
Judge-led proceedings were circumvented by Scatchard’s death in 2024. For his previous actions and his role in the serial sexual assault and drugging of women, he was already a lifetime subject of the Sex Offenders Register. The investigation established that Scatchard’s death prevents a formal murder trial, but the IOPC investigation continues to scrutinise the police behavior that allowed a serial predator to remain at liberty after a woman died under suspicious circumstances in his company.
STATUS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS (APRIL 2024)
Based on judicial and police records as of April 2024:
- Legal Status: DECEASED (Suspect in the murder of Kelly Faiers; Convicted sex offender).
- Custodial Status: NONE (In 2024, confirmed dead after six months as a fugitive).
- Sex Offenders Register: Records closed following the confirmation of death.
- SHPO Status: Terminated upon death (Previously prohibited from unsupervised contact with women and possession of undeclared drugs).
- DBS Status: Remains on the Barred List (Historical record of permanent ban from regulated activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Subject of an IOPC self-referral by Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
- Criminal Record: Convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women; Questioned over the death of Kelly Faiers; Absconded for 6 months; Found dead in a caravan in April 2024.
- Origin: Minehead / Watchet, Somerset.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
Prior to his death, Scatchard was managed as a high-risk offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in Somerset. Due to the nature of his behaviour—specifically his serial use of sedatives to incapacitate victims—he was a priority for intensive police monitoring. Authorities reported that his 2023 disappearance highlighted a catastrophic failure in the monitoring system for registered sex offenders, leading to a national review of how serial predators are handled during initial murder investigations.
As a deceased offender, his file remains a “lessons learned” case for the national police database. Authorities state that Scatchard’s behaviour identifies an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification and the evasion of justice over the principles of human decency. The ongoing IOPC investigation aims to ensure that the circumstances allowing Scatchard to avoid prosecution for his final suspected assault on human life are never repeated, ensuring future protection for the community.
QUESTION – Given that a known “Serial Sex Offender” was allowed to walk away from a death scene and disappear for six months, do you believe the law should legally mandate that any registered sex offender present at a “Suspicious Death” must be “Automatically Remanded” in custody until a full forensic post-mortem is completed?
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