Darlington dad found guilty of killing teenage daughter

Simon Vickers had denied manslaughter and murder - but was found guilty of murder

Author: Ellie KumarPublished 27th Jan 2025

A Darlington man has been found guilty of the murder of his teenage daughter, after she was stabbed in the heart.

Simon Vickers, 50, denied the murder and the manslaughter of Scarlett Vickers at their home in Geneva Road, Darlington, Co Durham, last July.

She suffered an 11cm knife wound to the chest, which pierced her heart, and she bled to death at the scene.

Scarlett and her mother Sarah Hall had been throwing grapes at each other in the kitchen, and messing about having fun, moments before.

The prosecution claims that pathological evidence shows that the blow could not have been caused accidentally, as the knife would have had to have been held with force.

In his defence, Vickers said it was a "freak accident".

Vickers is supported by Scarlett's mother, his partner of 27 years, who told jurors he would never harm their child.

The jury began deliberations on Wednesday.

Scarlett Vickers, 14, had shared reels on TikTok recorded in her bedroom on Friday (July 5) hours before being found dead at her family home in Darlington, County Durham

In his closing speech to the jury, Nicholas Lumley KC, defending Vickers, said the prosecution did not have to advance a motive, but there was not one.

The experienced barrister described it as one of the "saddest and most serious cases".

He reminded the jury how Scarlett's mother referred to the close family group as the three S's.

Mr Lumley said of the teenager: "She was finding her independence, supported at every turn by her father and her mother, there's no hint of disharmony in that house."

He added: "Neither parent asks for your pity, your indulgence or even for your forgiveness.

"Both parents are serving life sentences in the sense that their lives are broken, their hearts are broken and this process will not mend them."

Mr Lumley said: "You must decide whether the loss of their daughter's life makes him a murderer.

"You must decide whether the loss of their daughter's life makes him guilty of manslaughter.

"Both require him to have deliberately armed himself and to have attacked his daughter."

Mark McKone KC, prosecuting, said that Vickers loved his daughter and he was "devastated" by her death and he said the jury would have sympathy for the family.

He said that Vickers had lied about what happened that night.

"The prosecution submit that Mr Vickers did not and could not have stabbed his daughter through the heart accidentally," Mr McKone said.

Vickers could not have accidentally swiped the knife along the work surface into her chest, the prosecution has said.

Mr McKone reminded the jury Vickers had smoked cannabis on the day and had been drinking wine.

Alcohol coupled with an incident where his daughter and his partner threw grapes at each other in the kitchen, with some ending on the floor where their dog could eat them, could have led him to become irritated, the prosecution said.

The prosecution said even picking up a knife with an intent to "prod" his daughter was unlawful.

Mr McKone 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."

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