In Simon Vickers’ version of events, his 14-year-old daughter Scarlett Vickers died in a nightmarish “freak accident” while joking around in her family kitchen. But his web of lies soon started to unravel when put before a jury.
Vickers, 50, has today (February 10) been handed a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years after being found guilty of the murder of his only child, who was fatally stabbed in the heart last summer at her family home in County Durham. Sentencing Vickers, Mr Justice Cotter told him: “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 did not remain consistent with the details of how the teenager met her terrible end, and his story about being “the unluckiest man in the world” ultimately did not sway jurors at Teesside Crown Court, who last month found him guilty of murder by a majority of 10-2.
In Vickers’ version of events, he “accidentally” threw the knife at Scarlett during a kitchen “playfight”. However, an expert pathologist argued that the nature of the deep, fatal wound meant the blade must have been gripped when it was plunged into Scarlett’s. Vickers then changed his unconvincing story, suggesting instead that Scarlett could have accidentally walked into the knife after it “hit the side of the hot plate and stuck out over the side of the counter”.
Giving his version of events, Vickers said: “(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 claimed he’d intended to pick the tongs up to chase Scarlett with, but as he attempted to grab them, they flew from his hand. During the trial, jurors heard from a Home Office pathologist who advised it would be “practically impossible” for a thrown knife to result in Scarlett’s catastrophic chest wound. Offering her professional assessment, Dr Jennifer Bolton argued that the knife had been “held tightly” when it came into contact with Scarlett, plunging into her heart. She explained: “That typically means a firm grip, and that arm is braced in a certain way.”
When asked whether she believed the knife could have been thrown towards the schoolgirl, Dr Bolton replied: “Kitchen knives aren’t designed to be thrown, they aren’t designed to go through the air. So, it is practically impossible for a kitchen knife to be thrown for it to travel in such a way that it lands on Scarlett’s clothing and then her skin at 90 degrees, so it doesn’t simply bounce off or scratch across, and then go 11cm in and apparently come out again.”
Mr McKone told the jury: “The knife must have been held firmly in the defendant’s hand at the time of the stabbing, with the defendant having a firm wrist and a firm elbow. The knife must have been firmly in the defendant’s hand to cause that wound, which was 11cm deep. The wound is too deep to have been caused accidentally.”
According to Vickers, he only realised what had happened after Scarlett exclaimed: “Ow, ow, ow.” He recalled: “She had a pink fluffy pyjama top on. All of a sudden, blood just started coming out of it. Loads of it.”
After contacting emergency services, Vickers said he’d tried to save Scarlett while Sarah remained on the phone. Showing emotion, Vickers told the jury: “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.”
Footage from the night of Scarlett’s death, with Vickers seen telling officers: “We are going to Gran Canaria in six weeks. We were cooking tea, mucking about in the kitchen, I don’t understand how this happened, honestly.”
Vickers also claimed the family had been in a “happy mood” ahead of their summer holiday to Gran Canaria. However, video footage obtained from that night shows Vickers complaining about the trip after being booked into custody.
The court also heard that Vickers had a history of violence, having been convicted of wounding with intent in 1993 when he was 19. At the time, Vickers was sentenced to two years’ detention at the time. Vickers had six previous convictions in total.
Mark McKone KC, prosecuting, said that Vickers had been convicted for wounding with intent back in 1993 after slashing a man in the face using a Stanley knife. He told the judge: “We acknowledge this was over 30 years ago.” Mr McKone went on to assert that there was no victim statement from Scarlett’s mother, Sarah, who continues to show support for convicted Vickers.
Vickers, who admitted to having drunk four glasses of red wine and smoking cannabis on the night of Scarlett’s death, has repeatedly denied deliberately harming her. During sentencing, Mr Justice Cotter accepted that Vickers was “devastated” and a “broken man”, stating: “You have lost your only child at your own hand and you will always live with that awful fact.”
The judge took into account this was a momentary act, without premeditation or intention to kill. Mr Justice Cotter said: “Simon Vickers, only you know precisely what happened in that kitchen on that Friday evening, which led to you fatally stabbing your only daughter at what should have been the safety of her own home.”
He continued: “It was a momentary but devastating act of anger. It stole one young, precious life, ruined your life, your wife’s life and Scarlett’s relatives and friends. The clock cannot be turned back, and you must now face the consequences that the law intends.”
Speaking 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.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
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