A father accused of stabbing his 14-year-old daughter to death has claimed they were merely “play-fighting” while making tea when the tragic incident occurred, a court has heard.
Scarlett Vickers suffered a fatal 4-inch (11cm) wound to her chest at their home in Darlington in July 2024 and bled to death shortly afterward.
Her father, Simon Vickers, 50, denies charges of murder and manslaughter, stating that he was “mucking about” with Scarlett in the kitchen when the accident happened. He told police that one moment they were playing, and the next, blood was “gushing” from her chest.
Prosecutor Mark McKone KC, opening the trial, said that Vickers and Scarlett’s mother, Sarah Hall, were the only two people present during the incident and could provide accounts of what transpired.
The court was told that Scarlett and her father were “play-fighting and chucking knives at each other” while Ms. Hall prepared tea. Both parents were said to be “intoxicated” after spending a “nice day” watching football.
Vickers explained to detectives that while Ms. Hall was cooking, Scarlett threw grapes at him, which he threw back, followed by throwing some tongs at her. He claimed he didn’t realize he had picked up a knife by mistake.
Vickers stated that Scarlett then “lunged” toward him, and the knife “just went in.” He described the incident as “nothing” and “not even hard” when speaking to officers.
Neither parent realized Scarlett was injured until she screamed, the court heard.
After his arrest, Vickers told police: “We were just playing in the kitchen, I don’t know how this happened. One minute I was cooking, next there’s blood gushing out of her chest.”
When asked if he was responsible for Scarlett’s death, Vickers reportedly responded, “I must be.”
He said he asked Ms. Hall to call emergency services when Scarlett collapsed because he couldn’t manage it. Scarlett was pronounced dead at their home on Geneva Road shortly before midnight, about an hour after paramedics arrived.
The prosecution argued that the depth of the wound suggested it was not caused by an accidental throw, but that the knife must have been firmly held by Vickers when the stabbing occurred.
Home Office pathologist Dr. Jennifer Bolton, who performed the post-mortem, found that the knife had breached the chest wall, passed through Scarlett’s lung, and entered the left ventricle of her heart. The level of penetration indicated a stabbing motion.
Nicholas Lumley KC, representing Vickers, stated that both he and Ms. Hall “loved their daughter with all their hearts” and that Vickers had “no desire or wish to harm her.” Lumley acknowledged that Vickers would bear “moral responsibility” for Scarlett’s death for the rest of his life but denied any unlawful or deliberate action.
