A father is sentenced to life with a minimum of 15 years for murdering his 14-year-old daughter in their Darlington home.
Simon Vickers was guilty of murder. He stabbed Scarlett in the heart. It happened at their home in July 2024. They lived in Darlington.
Simon, age 50, denied the charges. He said it was manslaughter, not murder. He gave different stories about that moment. He plunged a knife into her. The knife went 11cm deep.
Scarlett’s mom, Sarah Hall, was also there. She defended Simon to the court. She said he would never hurt her daughter.
The jury voted 10-2 to convict him of murder. They deliberated for 13 hours. Manslaughter was another option.
Sarah Hall and family looked shocked when the verdict was read. Simon Vickers showed no reaction at all. He stood in the dock.
During the trial, Simon called it a “freak accident.” He said he grabbed what he thought were tongs. He swiped them toward her chest. He didn’t know it was a knife.
Prosecutor Mark McKone KC disagreed strongly. He told the jury it wasn’t an accident at all.
Dr. Jennifer Bolton explained how the knife entered. It must have been held with force. Someone had to have used their hand.