A father has been discovered responsible of killing his 14-year-old daughter after an alleged struggle of their Darlington The kitchen left her with an 11cm wound to her coronary heart.
Simon Vickers, 50, claimed he had accidentally picked up a knife Along with a pair of pliers through the brawl, which noticed his daughter Scarlett playfully throw grapes at him on July 5 final yr.
He had denied each homicide and manslaughter however was convicted following a trial at Teesside Crown Court after the jury deliberated for 13 hours and 21 minutes.
Vickers had instructed police who arrived on the scene that that they had performed one minute and the subsequent blood was “gushing” from his chest.
Simon Vickers, 50, who stabbed his 14-year-old daughter within the coronary heart as they performed within the kitchen (Durham Constabulary/Pa)
Despite his claims that this had been an accident, the prosecution argued that the suggestion he made to her was “nearly unattainable” and that the wound was too deep to have been brought on by chance.
Ministry of Justice pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton defined to the jury that the way in which the knife went into Scarlett’s chest meant it needed to be held in a single hand, forcefully.
His associate and Scarlett’s mom Sarah Hall and different relations appeared surprised within the public gallery when the decision was returned, whereas Vickers didn’t visibly react within the pier.
Ms Hall spoke to her associate of 27 years, telling jurors that Vickers adored their solely youngster and would by no means hurt her.
Defense barrister Nicholas Lumley KC stated Scarlett was her dad and mom’ much-loved solely youngster and that Vickers had “no want to hurt her in any approach”.
The knife he used that killed 14-year-old Scarlett Vickers in Darlington (CPS/PA) (PA)
Lumley stated: “They had been making a large number collectively within the kitchen, in a traditional playful approach and Simon Vickers immediately realized that Scarlett had been injured.
“Her physique should have come into contact with a pointy knife and she or he died shortly from a knife wound.
“He, Simon VickerShe’ll bear ethical accountability for his daughter’s loss of life for the remainder of his life.
Ms Hall was current within the kitchen and tried to avoid wasting {the teenager} as he bled to loss of life on the ground, jurors heard.
She made a 999 name and instructed the operator that they had “made a large number” and that her associate had thrown one thing at their daughter “and he did not realise”.
He was discovered responsible of homicide at Teesside Crown Court (Owen Humphreys/Pa) (PA)
After being arrested, Vickers instructed the police station: “We had been simply enjoying within the kitchen, I do not know the way it occurred, one minute I used to be cooking, then there’s blood pouring out of my chest.”
Asked in a police interview whether or not he was answerable for his daughter’s loss of life, McKone stated Vickers responded: “I’ve to be.”
His mom, who had cooked spaghetti Bolognese within the kitchen with them that evening, was emotional at instances within the witness field as she gave proof in assist of her associate.
She stated: “We had a really completely happy household life, all of us beloved one another very a lot, we lived in somewhat bubble.
“Simon handled Scarlett very properly, he was a really hands-on dad, he beloved her very a lot.”
Before the accident, Vickers had been consuming wine, watching the Euro soccer match on tv and had smoked hashish that day.
Before the jury was despatched out to contemplate their verdicts, prosecutor Mark McKone KC stated: “If you settle for that Mr Vickers lied about how Scarlett was killed, this should be as a result of he has one thing vital to cover.
“This means that he doesn’t have a truthful account that he considers harmless to you.
“In different phrases, Vickers didn’t have an harmless clarification for Scarlett’s damage when the knife was held in Mr. Vickers’ hand.”
A autopsy examination discovered that the kitchen knife breached the chest wall between the fifth and sixth ribs, handed by his decrease lung and handed into the left ventricle of the center.
Scarlett died in a short time from blood loss, the pathologist discovered.
