Kelly Faiers, 61, was found dead in the home of her partner, Richard Scatchard, 70, in Minehead, Somerset, in October 2023. An inquest has revealed that her death from a combination of sleeping tablets and alcohol followed a troubling relationship with Scatchard, a convicted sex offender with a history of serious sexual crimes.
Richard Scatchard, who was released on a life licence after serving a sentence for attempting rape and administering drugs to sexually assault women, had a long history of abuse dating back to the 1980s. Scatchard’s offending included using substances such as chloroform to incapacitate women before assaulting them, often recording these acts. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2000 and served over a decade before his release in 2013.
Ms. Faiers, who worked at Bristol Airport, met Scatchard through a dating website and had been involved with him for approximately six months before her death. Despite warnings from colleagues and evidence of controlling and abusive behavior, including Scatchard’s expressed fantasies of sexual acts involving Ms. Faiers being unconscious or drugged, she remained in the relationship.
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Colleagues described Ms. Faiers as a “high functioning” alcoholic who had confided in them about Scatchard’s coercive behavior. She reported instances of physical abuse, including arriving at work with a black eye that she claimed was from a fall. Text messages recovered from the period before her death reveal sexually explicit and dominating communications from Scatchard, with Ms. Faiers attempting to distance herself.
A post-mortem examination by Dr. Amanda Jeffery confirmed that Ms. Faiers died from the combined effects of alcohol and sleeping tablets. Toxicology reports could not determine whether the overdose was accidental, intentional, or the result of spiking. Empty blister packs of sleeping tablets and Viagra were found in Scatchard’s residence.
Initially, the police treated Ms. Faiers’ death as non-suspicious, but upon reviewing evidence linked to Scatchard’s criminal history and the nature of their relationship, the inquiry was upgraded to a murder investigation. Scatchard went missing shortly after police re-interviewed him and was later found dead in a caravan in nearby Watchet in April 2024.
The inquest continues as authorities seek to understand the full circumstances surrounding Ms. Faiers' tragic death and the extent of abuse she endured.