Statement following inquests into the deaths of Kelly Faiers and Richard Scatchard

We acknowledge several decisions Avon and Somerset Police took following the death of Kelly Faiers have impacted her family and we wish to again apologise publicly to them. 

An inquest this week has concluded Ms Faiers’ death was a result of unlawful killing. Ms Faiers died at the home of convicted sex offender Richard Scatchard in October 2023.  

Mr Scatchard failed to disclose the pair were in a relationship, as per the licence conditions put in place by the Probation Service, who were the lead agency for managing him in the community after his release from prison in 2013. 

The coroner ruled there was no reasonable opportunity for the police or Probation Service to have established the pair were in a relationship prior to Ms Faiers’ death. She was satisfied that had the relationship been known, then suitable action would have been taken to safeguard Ms Faiers. 

We have fully engaged with a multi-agency domestic homicide review in 2024, the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) investigation into complaints raised by Ms Faiers’ family, and this week’s coronial proceedings to ensure complete transparency around our actions. 

Those processes have led to us making changes over the past two and a half years, including increasing the number of specially-trained officers to help manage sex offenders, and introducing more training around unconscious bias and spotting the signs of false compliance. 

The circumstances around Ms Faiers’ death were initially considered non-suspicious, but police were called to attend by the ambulance service, as is standard practice after a sudden death. 

Attending officers became concerned by Mr Scatchard’s behaviour and his comments about the quantity of sleeping tablets Ms Faiers had taken. They carried out a search on police systems and established he had previous convictions for sexual offences involving the administering of drugs. 

A detective decided Mr Scatchard should not be arrested after a paramedic’s initial opinion suggested the quantity of sleeping tablets Ms Faiers had taken would unlikely be the direct cause of her death. Instead, they felt it more appropriate for a statement to be taken and further enquires conducted, including a postmortem examination and toxicology reports. Attending officers did not agree with that decision. 

The following day it was decided Mr Scatchard should be arrested while those enquiries continued. Officers returned to his flat but found he had disappeared. Extensive searches were carried out but he was found deceased in April 2024, six months after the last confirmed sighting of him alive.

The inquest into his death determined there was no evidence to suggest police could have discovered him alive, following his disappearance. 

The coroner, after hearing all the evidence at the Old Municipal Buildings in Taunton, determined Ms Faiers died from the joint effect of diphenhydramine, from sleeping tablets, and alcohol. 

Ms Faiers’ death was concluded to be the result of unlawful killing. The inquest heard Mr Scatchard was coercive and controlling towards her, particularly around the taking of sleeping tablets, and would have known her consuming that medication after alcohol carried a risk of harm. The coroner did not find there was an intention to cause Ms Faiers’ death. 

The IOPC found in 2025 the service level we provided was unacceptable around the decision not to initially arrest Mr Scatchard, which we have accepted and apologised for. The coroner also raised concerns around that decision after Ms Faiers’ inquest. 

The IOPC investigation found no evidence of misconduct by any officer or staff member or any organisational learning for Avon and Somerset Police. Three officers involved in investigating Ms Faiers’ death have undertaken a reflective practice review process, which is overseen by an officer of a more senior rank and is designed to be challenging and a learning experience when an improvement need has been identified. 

Every day officers must demonstrate their professional judgement by making significant decisions under considerable pressure, often with only partial information and – as referenced by the coroner – without the benefit of hindsight. 

We welcome scrutiny of the actions we take and, importantly, any recommendations around how we can improve the way we protect and serve the public. 

We hope these inquests have provided Ms Faiers’ family with further clarity around what happened, and it is important to recognise the conclusion of these proceedings do not in any way reduce the pain they continue to endure.