A father has been accused of fatally stabbing his 14-year-old daughter, but he claims they were just play-fighting in the kitchen at the time.
In a hearing at Teesside Crown Court in Middlesbrough, England, Simon Vickers, 50, denied causing the tragic death of his daughter, Scarlett Vickers, who was found with a stab wound to her heart on July 5, 2024.
Paramedics pronounced Scarlett dead around 11:50 p.m. that night. Vickers has pleaded not guilty to both murder and manslaughter. His defense lawyer, Nicholas Lumley, explained in court that the father and daughter had been engaging in playful activities in the kitchen when the incident occurred. Lumley emphasized that Scarlett’s body had come into contact with a sharp knife, leading to her quick death from a single wound.
While Vickers acknowledges a sense of moral responsibility for his daughter’s death, he firmly denies any unlawful or intentional actions that led to the tragedy. The court heard that Scarlett sustained a serious injury, which resulted in significant blood loss after lunging towards Vickers.
According to Vickers and Scarlett’s mother, Sarah Hall, the family was having fun, throwing food and kitchen utensils around as they prepared dinner. Hall recounted that the incident happened when she took out a kitchen knife, and Vickers mistakenly grabbed it instead of a spatula.
Vickers expressed confusion over the stabbing, stating that it wasn’t a hard encounter and that he did not understand how it happened. He explained that the family had enjoyed a nice day together, watching soccer and drinking wine, and he described the sudden turn of events as shocking.
During his police interview, Vickers seemed to acknowledge his connection to the incident, stating, “I must be,” when asked about his responsibility for Scarlett’s death. He also mentioned that Scarlett had initiated the play-fighting earlier by throwing grapes at him.
Prosecutors argued that Scarlett’s injury was too severe to have resulted from an accident or a thrown object. However, Lumley maintained that Vickers had no intention to harm his daughter.
The court proceedings continue as the case unfolds.
