Partner of sex offender unlawfully killed - coroner

The partner of a convicted sex offender with a history of drugging and sexually assaulting women was unlawfully killed, a coroner has found.

Kelly Faiers, 61, from Weston-super-Mare, died on 15 October 2023 at the home of Richard Scatchard, 70, in Minehead, Somerset.

An inquest held over three days at Somerset Coroner's Court heard Faiers had spoken to colleagues about Scatchard's controlling behaviour.

Samantha Marsh, senior coroner for Somerset, said Faiers' relationship with Scatchard had, on balance, been "controlling and coercive", and found she had been coerced into taking an "excess quantity" of sleeping tablets on the night she died.

Marsh told the inquest Faiers had died from a cardiac arrest, caused by a combination of sleeping tablets and alcohol, after being found unresponsive in the early hours of the morning.

Before delivering her conclusion, Marsh said coercing an intoxicated person to take tablets was a "dangerous, unlawful act".

"I do not believe he [Scatchard] intended her death to be the result," she added. "He wanted to stupefy her so that he could have his way with her."

An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation had previously found that Avon and Somerset Police had provided an "unacceptable" level of service to Faiers' family.

On Tuesday, the inquest was told officers called to the scene were advised by a superior not to arrest Scatchard, despite their knowledge of his previous convictions and concerns about his demeanour.

A murder investigation was launched the day after Faiers' death, but Scatchard had disappeared when officers returned to his home.

He then went missing and was found dead at a caravan park nearby months later.

Recording her conclusion, Marsh said Scatchard - who had a string of convictions for drugging and sexually assaulting women dating back to 1986 - had been "relentless" in pressuring Faiers "to do something she didn't want to do".

Texts from the days before her death showed Scatchard telling Faiers they had agreed to "compromise" and she would take six sleeping tablets when they met at the weekend - something she denied, messaging him "no, you said that".

"I hate [the] loss of control," Faiers had told him.

Marsh described Scatchard's "overall tone" in the messages as "not kind or caring, they were controlling, domineering and focussed on his sexual wants and desires with no consideration for her".

"On my assessment of evidence, this was not a relationship she was proud of," said Marsh, adding that she had not introduced Scatchard to her loved ones.

"Deep down I think Kelly knew the relationship had no future," said Marsh.

"Seeing him - a man [who was] horrible to her - as better than being alone, that is sad. She only actively intended to break it off when she started seeing someone else, suggesting she'd rather have someone than no-one."

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