A dad was jailed for life today for murdering his teenage daughter after stabbing her in the heart with a kitchen knife. Scarlett Vickers, 14, suffered a single stab wound which penetrated her chest to a depth of 4in (11 cm). Her dad Simon Vickers, 50, claimed that it was a 'freak accident' during a play fight which went tragically wrong in the kitchen of their home in Darlington, Co Durham last July. But he gave police differing versions of what happened, including throwing the knife accidentally as they 'mucked around'.
Today, Vickers was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years imposed minus 217 days served on remand. Sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Cotter said that Vickers had consistently lied about what happened in the kitchen of their home. He told him that his beloved daughter “deserved the truth” and that her fatal injuries were caused by a “flash of anger”. “I am content there was not an intention to kill but to cause serious harm,” he said.
Nicholas Lumley KC said Mr Vickers and Scarlett’s mum’s Sarah Hall were serving life sentences of their own due to the loss of their only child. “They are life sentences from which they will never be freed,” he said. “Simon Vickers has always accepted that his actions brought about the death of his only child. “Both of Scarlett's parents could not believe that their only child had died that night.
“Sarah Hall has remained resolute in her belief that the father of her only child did not intend to intend to cause any harm and his parents are of the same view. “None of them can believe he is to be known as Scarlett’s murderer.”. Vickers was supported by his partner of 27 years Sarah who was in the public gallery with her mum Elaine Hall, 65, holding her hand, as she wept as the details of her daughter’s injuries were outlined.
Mark McKone KC prosecuting said that Vickers had a previous conviction from 1993 when he was 19 for wounding with intent with a Stanley knife for which he was sentenced to two years in jail and a conviction for minor dishonesty in 1999. He said that Scarlett had died as a result of the stab wound to her heart and lung. Dressed all in black today, her mum had told the court that he would never harm their daughter.
It is understood that Vickers is planning to appeal against his conviction. A pathologist told Teesside Crown Court it was "practically impossible" for the wound to have been caused by throwing. In the highly unusual case of murder without a motive, jurors took 13 hours and 21 minutes to reach a majority verdict, with 10 finding him guilty of murder. Scarlett's mum Sarah Hall, his partner of 27 years, has vowed to stand by him. But family members told how they had both been left with a life sentence after losing their only child. Sarah told the court that she did not believe he would deliberately harm Scarlett. There was no history of any arguments or discord between them prior to the murder.
Sarah's mum Elaine Hall, 65, who accompanied Sarah to court during the trial, said: ‘Scarlett was their only child. They doted on her. If Sarah thought he had done anything to her, she’d have been out of there. There is no way he would have harmed her. Sarah lost her daughter and now she hasn’t got Simon to lean on." Anna Barker, Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS North East, said: “The account provided by Simon Vickers about how his daughter, Scarlett, sustained a fatal injury is wholly inconsistent with the forensic evidence in this case.
"As part of our case against him, the Crown Prosecution Service instructed a medical expert, whose analysis made it clear that the nature of the wound sustained by Scarlett could only have been caused if the knife used had been firmly gripped as she was injured. We have worked closely with Durham Police to meticulously piece together the tragic events which led to Scarlett’s death. Our thoughts remain with her family, for who this must remain a difficult time.”.
In police interviews, Vickers claimed that he and Scarlett had been throwing grapes at each other. Then, he thought that he had grabbed some tongs and threw them at her. "Obviously I picked a knife up," he added. "That was it. We were horse-playing. I must be the unluckiest man in the world.". He had not seen the knife when he picked it up, he added. Scarlett died after its blade pierced the left ventricle of her heart. She shouted "ah, ah, ah" and fell to the floor, the court heard. Her dad tried to help her, but said: "Her lips were going bluer and she wasn't listening when I was shouting at her." Home Office forensic pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton told the trial that the knife went through Scarlett's lung and into the left ventricle of her heart, causing fatal blood loss.
Dr Bolton said it was her opinion that the knife was being "held tightly", and that it would be 'practically impossible' for the fatal injury to have been caused by throwing it. Mark McKone KC, prosecuting, said: “This has gone beyond horseplay and Mr Vickers could and should have realised there was a risk in that small kitchen of causing serious injury with a knife.” Vickers admitted that he did not know what happened but it was possible the knife got stuck against a hot plate and jutted out over the counter, with Scarlett then running on to the blade. But Mr McKone said Vickers must have been lying and had changed his version of events. "He has not given you an account which can explain what happened unless the pathologist is wrong," he added.
