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SIMON VICKERS HAS BEEN JAILED FOR LIFE FOR MURDERING HIS 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHILE 'PLAY-FIGHTING' IN THE KITCHEN - BUT SCARLETT'S MUM REFUSES TO BELIEVE HE'D DO
ANYTHING TO HARM HIS ONLY CHILD 12:52, 10 Feb 2025Updated 13:22, 10 Feb 2025 The chilling last moments of tragic teenager, Scarlett Vickers may never be known, it emerged today. The
14-year-old died at the hands of the very man who was supposed to protect her - her own father. Instead, she lay lifeless on her own kitchen floor when "an ordinary family Friday night
ended in tragedy." According to her dad, Simon Vickers they had been "play-fighting" when she suffered an 11cm knife wound to the heart. Scarlett's mum, Sarah Hall was
making spaghetti bolognaise at the time and maintains her partner of 27 years would never have deliberately harmed their only child. But a jury did not believe Vickers' version of
events, which changed several times during his trial. Today (February 10), he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years for her murder. He labelled himself as "the unluckiest
man in the world" as he portrayed Scarlett's death as a "freak accident" at their County Durham home last July. He said that on the fateful night, he unintentionally
threw a knife, only becoming aware of his fatal mistake when blood began seeping from Scarlett's fluffy pyjama top. Article continues below At his sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Cotter
said: "Scarlett was just 14, a normal, healthy girl with a long life ahead of her when it was cut short by you. She died in the kitchen of her own home within minutes of having been
stabbed. “It went from an ordinary, happy family Friday night to tragedy within seconds due to what must have been your loss of temper. “There is no other plausible explanation. “You have
never given a truthful explanation of what happened.” Vickers admitted drinking four glasses of red wine and smoking cannabis before the tragedy but denied intentionally harming Scarlett.
His partner Sarah remained in his corner throughout, even giving evidence in his defence and describing their family life as "very happy," with Vickers being a "hands-on
dad" who loved Scarlett dearly. When questioned about any concerns she may have had regarding Vickers' care, Sarah replied: "No, never." The prosecution asked: "If
you had thought he had murdered your daughter, would you still be with him?," she responded: "Definitely not, she was my number one, she was my best friend, my girl." Sarah
recalled the hrrowing events of the evening, telling the court how her daughter had come down from her room around 10pm for a chat. The mood was light and cheerful as they excitedly talked
about upcoming holiday plans. The family shared a playful moment, with Sarah and Scarlett attempting to catch grapes in their mouths, and Vickers joining the fun. But things took a dark turn
when Sarah began teasing Vickers with kitchen tongs, prompting Scarlett to jest, "Don't be so wimpy" after he said it hurt. As Sarah turned her attention to dishing out
pasta, she remained conscious of the ongoing horseplay, noting: "I was aware they were still mucking around." But the atmosphere shifted dramatically when Sarah noticed something
was terribly wrong. "She was just looking at me; I said, 'What's up? ' and then I saw blood coming out of her side." When asked if she had confronted Vickers about
what happened to Scarlett, Sarah admitted she hadn't, stating: "It would never cross my mind that he would ever do anything to her." She added: "I don't know how it
happened, but I know he would never harm her, so it didn't even enter my head." Vickers told the court: "(Scarlett) was very proud of her hair; she had nice long hair, and I
started wafting it, but she started pushing me when I was trying to get it. "She was pushing me in the direction of where the tongs were. I put my hand on top of the tongs and swiped
them along the kitchen worktop. They hit the corner of this hot plate, and that's why they flew off." Vickers explained that his subsequent action, intending to pick up the tongs
and playfully chase Scarlett, went horribly wrong as the tongs unexpectedly launched from his hand. What followed was a moment of horror, only realised when Scarlett cried out: "Ow, ow,
ow." He described a chilling scene, stating: "She had a pink fluffy pyjama top on. All of a sudden, blood just started coming out of it. Loads of it." Vickers added:
"Scarlett was just laying there, staring, she wasn't saying anything. Then she started gasping for breath. That's when I started shouting 'Scarlett, Scarlett, Scarlett,
Scarlett, Scarlett'. Then she stopped breathing, just stopped, nothing. Her eyes just went like dolls' eyes, everything just stopped." When police arrived, Vickers insisted he
had "accidentally" flung the knife at Scarlett in the midst of their "playfight"; yet, an expert pathologist argued that the nature of Scarlett's wound implied
deliberate holding of the knife. Vickers then shifted his account saying that Scarlett could have unwittingly brushed against the knife if it "hit the side of the hot plate and stuck
out over the side of the counter". But this revised tale didn’t sway the prosecutors, who contended firm belief that Vickers had "deliberately with the knife" inflicted the
staggeringly deep wound on Scarlett. Jurors also heard testimony from a Home Office pathologist, who stated that it was "practically impossible" for a thrown knife to inflict
Scarlett's deadly chest wound. Dr Jennifer Bolton provided her expert opinion, stating that the knife had been "held tightly" and had plunged into Scarlett's heart upon
contact. After their guilty verdict by a majority of 10-2, jurors heard how Vickers had previously slashed a man in the face with a Stanley knife when he was younger. He had a conviction for
wounding with intent in 1993 when he was 19 and was sentenced to two years’ detention. Noting the conviction was 30 years ago, the judge said there was no evidence to suggest they had
“anything other than a normal, loving family life”. But he told Vickers: “Exactly what happened, only you know.” He added: “You have never accepted exactly what happened although you have
accepted it was your actions that caused her death. “Your beloved daughter deserved the truth and you have not given it.” He said the offence was aggravated because Scarlett was a child who
should have been safe in her own home. The judge was not sure that alcohol had contributed to the offence which he was convinced was caused by “a flash of anger”. Article continues below
Outside court, Detective Superintendent Craig Rudd said: “We may never know precisely what happened in that kitchen, but we can be certain there is no justification for what Simon Vickers
did. “Had he not picked up that knife Scarlett would still be alive today. “This has been an incredibly heartbreaking case for everyone involved and our thoughts remain with those who cared
about Scarlett.”