Murder suspect Richard Scatchard 'shouldn't have been allowed to die'

The family of a woman thought to have been killed by her sex offender partner who was later found dead say they are angry he has "evaded justice".

Richard Scatchard had been wanted after Kelly Faiers was found dead at his home in Minehead, Somerset, in October.

The next day he went missing and his remains were found about 10 miles (16km) away in a caravan on Thursday.

Avon and Somerset Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Ms Faiers' daughters told the BBC they felt "angry and let down" that Scatchard, 70, was not properly questioned immediately after their mother's death on 15 October.

The police investigation was sparked when officers had gone back to speak to him about the death, and found he was missing.

In December, her family made a complaint to the police about their response to the death of Ms Faiers. This was referred to the IOPC in January.

Daughters Jazz Faiers (l) and Tania Jackson (r) say they "haven't had time to digest" the news

Avon and Somerset Police then voluntarily referred itself to the IOPC on 4 January, due to officers' contacts with Scatchard at the scene of Ms Faiers' death, shortly before he disappeared.

It has now referred itself to the IOPC for a second time in a mandatory referral.

A spokesperson for the force said: "This is because we spoke with the 70-year-old at the scene of Kelly's death, shortly before he disappeared, before carrying out subsequent enquiries to find him."

Jazz, Ms Faiers' youngest daughter, said she believed Scatchard's death could have been prevented if police had "followed protocols at the start".

A post-mortem examination of Scatchard's body proved inconclusive in determining the cause of his death, though police say it was "apparent Scatchard died some time ago".

"I'm glad he can't harm anyone else, but it doesn't bring us any form of closure or justice," Jazz Faiers added.

"There should have been a court case. The whole thing wasn't fair on us and his past victims.

"He shouldn't have been allowed to die."

During the search for Scatchard, police said he was a risk to the public, specifically those he formed relationships with.

The force said he was a regular user of dating apps and had previously been convicted of sexual offences in which he administered drugs to his victims to enable his crimes.

Scatchard's remains were found in an empty caravan, that he did not own, less than 10 miles away from the hotel in Minehead where he was last officially spotted on CCTV in October.

A member of the public discovered Scatchard's body in a caravan in Watchet

Kelly Faiers' eldest daughter, Tania Jackson, said she believed failing to check the caravan site had been an oversight by the police.

"It's quite unbelievable that he was that close, especially considering there was more than one sighting of him on the Dunster coastal path.

"Why were they not checked? They were empty. He liked caravanning. It seems the obvious place," Ms Jackson added.

In response, Avon and Somerset Police said they carried out "more than 300 actions" that included making CCTV inquiries, deploying specialist search teams across West Somerset, carrying out financial checks and issuing public appeals for information.

A spokesperson said: "We believed he [Scatchard] may have had information that could have assisted our inquiries into the death of Kelly Faiers and had not given up hope that remained a possibility, until his body was discovered last week.

"We provided Kelly's family with updates last week about a body being found at the earliest opportunity. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

"At an early stage, our Professional Standards Department was made aware of Kelly's death in Minehead last October, and our initial response to it," the force added.

'She's the focus'

Ms Jackson said police also failed to convey accurate information to the family when Scatchard's body was discovered.

She claims they were initially told his remains were found in woodlands, only to discover the truth upon receiving calls from journalists, after police released a public statement.

Ms Jackson said their priority now as a family was to "take the focus off him".

"To stop seeing his face everywhere, and try to remind people that yes he's dead, but we haven't had closure and mum was still taken," she added.

"She's the focus of this, not him. She's the reason that we're all here."