An inquest has revealed that Avon and Somerset police officers sought to arrest Richard Scatchard, a registered sex offender with prior convictions for drugging and sexually assaulting women, after his partner was found dead in his home. However, their request was denied by a duty detective sergeant, delaying action in the tragic case.
Kelly Faiers, 61, was discovered unconscious on the living room floor of Scatchard’s Minehead, Somerset, residence in October 2023. Scatchard told officers he found Ms. Faiers after she had taken up to 10 sleeping tablets. The attending officers, familiar with his past offenses, immediately became suspicious of his behavior.
Pc Alex Harris, one of the first responding officers, recalled feeling uneasy due to Scatchard’s nervous pacing and evasive answers. Despite her concerns and clear warning signals about Scatchard’s history, the duty detective sergeant believed arresting him at that time would be “a massive escalation.” Officers were thus instructed not to detain him.
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“I felt confused, angry, and frustrated,” Pc Harris testified. “That next hour waiting inside the flat was the worst of my policing career. I was physically sick trying to maintain a polite conversation with him while he paced past Kelly’s body on the floor.”
Her colleague, Pc Kate Fortune, echoed these concerns, noting Scatchard’s discomfort in their presence and his anticipation of arrest. She also believed he was a clear flight risk. The following day, when officers returned to question Scatchard, he had already vanished.
Eventually recalled to prison following Ms. Faiers’ death, Scatchard was found deceased in a caravan in Watchet, Somerset, in April 2024. The inquest continues as questions remain about the decisions made during those critical early hours.