Father Insists He Was 'Play-Fighting' With Daughter He's Accused of Stabbing With Kitchen Knife

A UK father accused of murdering his 14-year-old daughter claimed they were simply "play-fighting" when she was fatally stabbed in the chest.

Simon Vickers, 50, is on trial at Teesside Crown Court for the death of his daughter, Scarlett Vickers, who suffered a fatal knife wound at their home in Darlington, County Durham, on July 5, 2024, Teesside Live reported.

Scarlett died from a single, 11-centimeter stab wound that pierced her heart, causing catastrophic blood loss. Vickers denies any intention to harm his daughter, insisting the tragedy was a "terrible accident" that occurred during playful behavior in the kitchen.

According to prosecutors, Vickers initially gave multiple accounts of how Scarlett was injured, including claims that he accidentally threw the knife and that Scarlett "lunged" toward him. He told paramedics at the scene, "We were play-fighting and she lunged towards me, and it just went in."

Emergency crews found Scarlett on the kitchen floor with her mother, Sarah Hall, desperately trying to save her. Despite efforts, Scarlett was pronounced dead at 11:50 p.m.

Prosecutor Mark McKone KC argued that the fatal wound could not have been accidental. Forensic analysis determined the kitchen knife was used in a "stabbing-type action" and must have been firmly held when it penetrated Scarlett's chest.

Vickers, who had been drinking wine with his partner while watching football earlier that day, told police, "One minute I was cooking, next there's blood gushing out of her chest."

Defending Vickers, barrister Nicholas Lumley KC described the incident as a "tragic, tragic accident," emphasizing that Vickers "had no desire to harm" his only child and would "bear moral responsibility for his daughter's death for the rest of his life."

The trial continues Thursday.