In 2026, the Offender Register reported that an inquest heard that the partner of a convicted sex offender with a history of drugging and sexually assaulting women was discovered deceased in his residence following an overdose of alcohol and sleeping tablets.
On October 15, 2023, Kelly Faiers, 61, of Weston-super-Mare, passed away at the residence of Richard Scatchard, 70, of Minehead, Somerset.
At Somerset Coroner’s Court, an inquest into her death revealed that Faiers had informed her colleagues of Scatchard’s controlling behaviour and his desire for her to take tablets so that he could engage in sexual intercourse with her while she was incapacitated.
The police’s treatment of Faiers’ death was found to be deficient after Scatchard disappeared the following day. Numerous deficiencies were identified. Six months later, his body was discovered.
The inquest heard that Scatchard was convicted of drugging and assaulting four women between 1986 and 2000. In 2000, he was sentenced to life imprisonment; however, he was released on a conditional release in 2013 and relocated to Minehead in 2020.
Samantha Marsh, the senior coroner for Somerset, stated that he would engage in sexual acts with women. At the same time, they were incapacitated by meeting them on dating websites and filming or photographing them.
The inquest heard that Faiers and Scatchard had been in a relationship for approximately six months after meeting on a dating website.
Based on the balance of probabilities, the toxicologist’s report concluded that the combination of alcohol and sleeping tablets was the probable cause of death.
It is suspected that she consumed ten sleeping medications, and her blood alcohol concentration was three times the legal limit for driving.
Initially, the death of Faiers was regarded as non-suspicious; however, it was subsequently classified as murder after additional evidence regarding Scatchard’s prior convictions was discovered.
Image Credit – Avon and Somerset Police
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