A father, Simon Vickers, 50, has been convicted of murder after fatally stabbing his 14-year-old daughter, Scarlett, in the heart during a play-fighting incident in their kitchen in Darlington, last July.

Vickers provided conflicting accounts of the moments leading up to the stabbing, where he plunged an 11cm kitchen knife into Scarlett's chest. At the time, Scarlett's mother, Sarah Hall, was in the room and defended Vickers, claiming he loved their only child and would never harm her.

After 13 hours and 21 minutes of deliberation, a jury found Vickers guilty of murder by a majority vote of 10-2, rejecting the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Upon the verdict, Ms. Hall and family members appeared stunned in the public gallery, while Vickers showed no visible reaction in the dock.

'This was not an accident'

During the trial, prosecutor Mark McKone KC stated that Scarlett’s death was not accidental. Home Office pathologist Dr. Jennifer Bolton clarified to the jury the manner in which the knife was held as it was thrust into Scarlett's chest.

Mr. McKone acknowledged Vickers’s devastation and love for his daughter but emphasized that the type of injury inflicted could not have resulted from an unintentional swipe across a counter.

Before the jury retired to consider their verdict, Mr. McKone pointed out that if the jury believed Vickers lied about the circumstances of Scarlett’s death, it suggested he was hiding something significant.

Defending counsel Nicholas Lumley KC argued that Vickers had no intention to harm Scarlett and that no motive was presented by the prosecution. He noted that Vickers would bear moral responsibility for Scarlett’s death but denied any unlawful or deliberate actions leading to the tragedy.

Mum saw daughter pouring with blood

On the day of the incident, Vickers had been drinking wine and smoking cannabis while watching the Euros football tournament, as Ms. Hall prepared spaghetti Bolognese. The family engaged in lighthearted play, tossing grapes at each other, until a complaint about pain triggered more playful banter.

Ms. Hall recalled turning away to serve dinner when she suddenly heard Scarlett cry out “ow,” only to turn around and see their daughter covered in blood. In distress, Ms. Hall called 999, reporting that they had been “messing about” and that Vickers hadn’t realized he had thrown something at Scarlett.

First responders heard Vickers claim that Scarlett lunged at him during their play-fighting. Initial statements from Vickers and Ms. Hall indicated uncertainty about the cause of the injury but then shifted to a narrative of playful escalation involving knives.

Scarlett tragically died at the scene. Vickers insisted that the incident was a “freak accident,” claiming he mistook a knife for tongs in the chaos of their play.

Mr. Justice Cotter thanked the jury for their service and announced that Vickers will be sentenced on February 10.