Darlington man who fatally stabbed his daughter during ‘play fight’ convicted of her murder

A father who claimed to have fatally stabbed his daughter during a ‘play-fight’ in their home has been convicted at Teesside Crown Court today of her murder.

Simon Vickers, 50, of Geneva Road, Darlington, was convicted over the death of his daughter, Scarlett Vickers, after fatally wounding her in the kitchen of their home in July of last year.

Vickers had claimed that the pair had been play-fighting and jokingly throwing items at each other while cooking, before he mistakenly swiped a kitchen knife which then hit Scarlett.

After his partner called for an ambulance, paramedics attended the address and found Scarlett on the floor of the kitchen with a severe stab wound to the chest. Despite their efforts, Scarlett tragically died from her injuries a short time later.

Anna Barker, Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS North East, said: “The account provided by Simon Vickers about how his daughter, Scarlett, sustained a fatal injury is wholly inconsistent with the forensic evidence in this case.

“As part of our case against him, the Crown Prosecution Service instructed a medical expert, whose analysis made it clear that the nature of the wound sustained by Scarlett could only have been caused if the knife used had been firmly gripped as she was injured.”

“We have worked closely with Durham Police to meticulously piece together the tragic events which led to Scarlett’s death. Our thoughts remain with her family, for who this must remain a difficult time.”