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A police force has apologized to the family of a woman found dead at the home of a convicted sex offender, following watchdog findings of failings in the initial investigation.
Kelly Faiers, 61, died on October 15, 2023 at the address of Richard Scatchard, 70, in Minehead, Somerset.
Officers visited the property and spoke with Scatchard, who had a history of sex crime convictions in which he gave drugs to his victims.
An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation revealed that despite officers’ concerns over Scatcherd’s conduct and consideration of arrest, they were ultimately advised against it by CID.
The following day, it was decided to treat Ms Faiers’ death as a murder, prompting officers to revisit the address, but found that Catchard had absconded.
His body was later found in a caravan near Cleve Hill in Watchet on 4 April 2024.
Ms Faiers’ family made a number of complaints about the conduct of Avon and Somerset Police following her death.
On Tuesday, the IOPC said it had found the service provided by the force “unacceptable” in relation to three of the seven complaints.
It said the actions and decisions of the three officers were below expectations, but there was no evidence to suggest they had breached police standards of professional behaviour.
In response, a spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police apologized to Ms Faiers’ family and said it took their concerns seriously.
“We would like to apologize to Kelly Faiers’s family for the impact of a number of decisions taken by Avon and Somerset Police during the investigation into her death,” he said.
“The death of Ms Faiers in Minehead on October 15, 2023 was initially treated as non-suspicious.
“An operational decision was taken the next day to treat the death of Ms Faiers at the home of Richard Scatchard as suspicious and that it should be investigated as a murder investigation.
“This update was not relayed to the family for the next 48 hours, partly due to Ms. Faiers being unable to locate trained family liaison officers to meet with the family and deliver an update in person.
“The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) determined that the level of service caused by that delay was unacceptable, and an alternative option should have been considered to ensure the family received that information sooner.
“Similarly, we recognize the additional distress experienced by Ms Faiers’ family upon learning of Mr Scatchard’s criminal record through an online search and that he was at the address when police initially attended and was spoken to by officers.
“This was information that should have been communicated to Mrs Faiers’s family in a sensitive manner and in a private manner at an appropriate time.
“The IOPC also found that the level of service was unacceptable in the context of the decision not to arrest Mr Scatchard at the scene of Ms Faiers’ death.”
The spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to comment further on that decision due to ongoing proceedings by the coroner.
He said no instances of conduct or unsatisfactory performance involving any police officer or employee were identified, while no organizational learning was identified.
Following Ms Faiers’ death, Avon and Somerset Police warned that Catchard posed a serious risk to women with whom he had relationships and was a regular user of dating apps.
He was previously convicted of sex crimes in which he drugged his victims to abuse them.
As well as being recalled to prison, Scatchard was also wanted in connection with a murder investigation into Ms Faiers’ death.
In a statement, the IOPC said an investigation found that “the level of service provided to Kelly Faiers’ family was unacceptable, as we determined there were failures in the force’s response following her death”.
IOPC director Derrick Campbell said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with Kelly Faiers’s family for her loss.
“Avon and Somerset Police could and should have done a better job in the tragic circumstances of this case.
“We found that the service provided by the force was unacceptable in relation to three individual officers whose actions and decisions fell below expectations.
“Although we found no evidence to suggest they breached police standards of professional conduct justifying disciplinary action, we decided that the officers should consider and learn from the failings we identified and they will undergo the Reflective Practice Review Process (RPRP).”
Scatchard and Ms Faiers went out for the evening on 14 October 2023.
He called paramedics to his home address at 4.15am on October 15 and reported that Ms Faiers was seriously ill. He was declared dead by paramedics.
A post-mortem examination to determine the cause of Ms Faiers’ death was inconclusive but police are treating it as suspicious.
The cause of Scatchard’s death was also declared inconclusive, although police said they were not aware of any suspicious circumstances.