Play-fight claim dad jailed for murdering daughter

Scarlett Vickers was 14 years old when she was murdered by her father

A father has been jailed for at least 15 years for murdering his daughter after the jury rejected his claim he had killed her in a play-fight.

Scarlett Vickers, 14, bled to death at her home in Darlington after being stabbed deep in the chest with a kitchen knife by her father Simon Vickers, 50, in July.

Vickers had claimed the fatal injury was "a freak accident" caused while they were "mucking about", but jurors at Teesside Crown Court found him guilty of murder with a majority verdict.

Jailing Vickers for life with a minimum term, Mr Justice Cotter said the killer had never been truthful about the "loss of temper" that turned a "happy family night into tragedy".

The court heard Vickers' partner and Scarlett's mother Sarah Hall, who was also present when she was killed, was "resolute" in her belief that he was innocent.

Scarlett suffered an 4in-deep (11cm) wound to her heart in the kitchen of her family home on Geneva Road on the evening of 5 July, her murder trial had heard.

Both her father and mother claimed the injury was inflicted accidentally but a pathologist said it was "practically impossible" for it to have been caused by anything other than a knife being held firmly in a hand.

At the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Mark McKone KC revealed Vickers had a previous conviction from 1993 for wounding with intent after he slashed a man's face with a Stanley knife, for which the then 19-year-old got two years' detention, as well as some dishonesty offences.

Mr McKone said Vickers' account of what happened to Scarlett was "inconsistent" with the pathologist's findings.

Simon Vickers was found guilty of murder

In mitigation, Nicholas Lumley KC said Ms Hall and Vickers' parents remained "resolute in their belief" he "did not intend Scarlett any harm".

Mr Lumley said: "None of them can in fact believe he is now to be known as Scarlett's murderer."

Ms Hall had previously told jurors she was standing by her partner of 27 years and was adamant he would never have deliberately harmed their daughter.

Scarlett's parents had said they were all "mucking about" and throwing grapes at each other in the kitchen while Ms Hall was making spaghetti Bolognese.

Ms Hall had told police and paramedics she had got the knife out to cut garlic bread and placed it next to some tongs.

Vickers told the court he swiped a pair of tongs towards Scarlett which must have caught the knife, which he had not seen.

He said he did not know what had actually happened but thought the knife had got caught against a hot plate and Scarlett had run on to the 8in-long (20cm) blade.

Prosecutors said that was extremely unlikely with forensic pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton concluding Vickers would probably have to have been holding the knife in his hand for it to cause the devastating injury to Scarlett.

Vickers had said he bore "moral responsibility" for killing his daughter but claimed it had been a "freak accident" in the confines of their small kitchen.

Jurors spent more than 13 hours deliberating before reaching a majority agreement, with 10 finding Vickers guilty of murder.

Scarlett died at her home on Geneva Road in Darlington in July

Mr Justice Cotter said he had "no doubt" Vickers had been holding the knife and the killer, who was the only person who actually knew what occurred, had "never given a truthful explanation of what happened".

The judge said Vickers' account was "unconvincing and wholly implausible", telling him: "Your beloved daughter deserved the truth, you have not given it."

Scarlett was a "normal, healthy young girl with a long life ahead of her" which was "cut short" by her father, the judge said, adding: "It went from an ordinary, happy family Friday night into tragedy within seconds due to what must have been [Vickers'] loss of temper."

Mr Justice Cotter said there was a "momentary but devastating act of anger" that had "stolen one young, precious life".

The court heard Vickers had smoked cannabis and drunk wine during the evening, with police noting he was slurring his speech when they arrived.