Father Found Guilty of Murdering Daughter in "Play Fight" Accident Claim

Scarlett Vickers, a 14-year-old girl from Darlington, County Durham, was fatally stabbed by her father, Simon Vickers, in July 2024. Simon Vickers claimed that the stabbing was an accident that occurred during a "play fight" with his daughter. However, prosecutors argued that the 11cm stab wound was too deep to have been accidental and that Simon Vickers had deliberately stabbed his daughter.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court found Simon Vickers guilty of murder. He faces a potential life sentence at a sentencing hearing on February 10.

Scarlett's mother, Sarah Hall, has refused to accept the verdict. She claims that Simon Vickers loved their daughter and would never have deliberately harmed her. She also said that she did not see the moment when the fatal stabbing occurred.

Scarlett's grandmother, Elaine Hall, said that the family will try to appeal the conviction.

The Crown Prosecution Service has said that the account provided by Simon Vickers about how his daughter sustained a fatal injury is "wholly inconsistent with the forensic evidence in this case." The CPS also said that the medical expert they instructed concluded 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.

The family of Scarlett Vickers is devastated by her death. They are trying to come to terms with what happened and are seeking justice for their daughter.