Dad who murdered daughter's sentence 'too lenient'

Scarlett Vickers died at her home in July after being stabbed in the chest

An application to increase the prison sentence being served by a man who murdered his 14-year-old daughter has been submitted.

Scarlett Vickers bled to death at her home in Darlington in July 2024 after she was stabbed in the chest with a kitchen knife by Simon Vickers.

The 50-year-old, who had claimed his daughter died in "a freak accident" while they were "mucking about", was jailed for life and told he would have to serve a minimum of 15 years after he was found guilty at Teesside Crown Court in January.

The office of the Attorney General said it had received a request for Vickers' jail term to be reconsidered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

Vickers' trial heard that Scarlett suffered a 4in (11cm) deep wound to her heart when she was stabbed in the kitchen of her family home on Geneva Road on the evening of 5 July.

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.

Simon Vickers was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years

A spokesperson for the Attorney General said: "We have received a request for this sentence to be considered under the ULS scheme.

"The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision."