Regulatory bodies have instructed police to carry out an internal investigation into the death of a notorious Scottish sex offender discovered in a caravan after a six-month search.
Richard Scatchard, born in Glasgow, was sought for his alleged role in the murder of Kelly Faiers in Minehead, Somerset. The 61-year-old was found dead at his home on October 15 last year, hours after he was last seen at a pub.
Although police interacted with Scatchard initially, they did not detain him, and he disappeared after their visit, only to be found deceased on April 4.
Following prior interactions with the 70-year-old Scatchard, Avon and Somerset Constabulary made a compulsory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The IOPC has now recommended that the force’s professional standards department undertake a local probe into the search for Scatchard and the circumstances of his death, maintaining oversight throughout.
This instruction arrives while the force is already under IOPC investigation following a complaint by Ms. Faiers’ family about the handling of her case.
IOPC regional director David Ford has stated that this investigation is advancing, focusing on the conduct and decision-making of the involved officers and whether force protocols were properly executed.
Scatchard, who also went by Richard Dunlop, was known as a “danger to women” with previous sexual offense convictions in 2000. Shortly after Ms. Faiers’ death, he was due to be recalled to prison for violating his probation terms.
After his body was found in April, Kelly’s daughters, Jazz Faiers and Tania Jackson, expressed to the BBC that Scatchard’s death deprived them of closure, stating he “shouldn’t have been allowed to die”.
Jazz commented: “I’m relieved he can’t harm anyone, but this doesn’t provide any closure or justice.
“A court case should have occurred. It wasn’t fair to us or his previous victims that he was allowed to die.”
IOPC’s David Ford conveyed: “I extend my heartfelt condolences to Ms. Faiers’ family on the abrupt loss of their loved one. We are thinking of them and all those impacted by this tragedy.
“Our independent inquiry is meticulous and aims to thoroughly examine the actions of the involved officers. We are particularly assessing why the police did not detain Mr. Scatchard or initiate a criminal investigation immediately after discovering Ms. Faiers at his residence.
“We are evaluating the information the officers had when they first spoke to Mr. Scatchard at the Minehead address and the communication between them and their supervisors.
“We have explained our role to Ms. Faiers’ family and will continue to provide them with regular updates as our investigation progresses.”
