FINAL HOURS
Moment woman drinks with sex offender in pub hours before she was ‘murdered’ as cops hunt ‘danger to women’ predator
Further details released by police as urgent search continues
THIS is the chilling moment a woman drinks with a fugitive sex offender in a pub just hours before she was found "murdered".
Richard Scatchard, 70, has been on-the-run since Kelly Faiers, 61, was discovered dead in his home in Minehead on October 15.
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Cops are urgently hunting the convicted sex offender, who was on licence after being released from jail for a string of sex offences.
He has been described as a "danger to the public, especially women" and is known to drug his victims.
Avon and Somerset Police have now released CCTV of him and Kelly from the evening before her death.
She can be seen at the bar of the Duke of Wellington pub with Scatchard as they order their drinks.
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They then make their way to a table before Kelly puts her coat on as the pair prepare to leave around 40 minutes later.
The following morning, Scatchard called for an ambulance saying Kelly was "critically ill".
Tragically she was declared dead at the scene by paramedics, who then called police as is protocol for a sudden death.
The force said: "Officers spoke with Scatchard before leaving the scene.
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“On the afternoon of Monday, October 16, we wished to ask Scatchard further questions and again attended his home address, where his property was found to be empty.”
A post mortem carried out on Kelly's body was inconclusive, with her death being treated as suspicious.
Cops believe Scatchard spent the night after Kelly's death in the Watchet area, with CCTV showing him at around 9am on October 16 in the Swain Street area.
They said this is the "last sighting" they have of the predator, who is a regular user of dating apps.
One person who knows him says they saw him later that morning wearing light-coloured shorts on Blenheim Road, in Minehead.
Since they first launched an appeal to find Scatchard, police have received 80 potential sightings that are yet to be confirmed.
The National Crime Agency has now joined with the force to help snare the suspect.
He has been described as a white man, about 5ft 11ins tall and speaks with a Scottish accent.
Scatchard has previously been known to use the name Richard Dunlop.
Senior investigating officer Det Supt Gary Haskins said: "We still wish to speak to Scatchard to see if he can help us progress our inquiries.
“We desperately want to provide Kelly’s family with the answers they deserve as soon as we can.
“The other equally important focus we have, which we particularly want the public’s help with, is the search for Scatchard.
"Ultimately, the best chance of us apprehending Scatchard is by a member of the public calling in with key information about his whereabouts.
“This may be through a chance sighting or even somebody who has previously been reluctant to come forward – either way we would please encourage those people to call 999.
"And if Scatchard sees this appeal, we would urge him to do the right thing and to hand himself in.”
Anyone who sees Scatchard has been warned to approach him but instead call 999 using the reference 5223259285.
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