Mum of schoolgirl, 14, murdered by her dad in 'playfight' vows to stand by him

The parent of a teen who was fatally stabbed by her begetter successful what helium claimed was a “play fight” mishap is reportedly lasting by her spouse aft a assemblage recovered him blameworthy of murder.

Scarlett Vickers, 14, died aft her begetter Simon, 40, stabbed her successful the heart astatine their location successful Darlington, County Durham, past July.

The 50-year-old denied some murder and manslaughter charges, claiming that helium had been “mucking about” with his girl successful the room earlier the stabbing that caused the teen’s tragic death.

However, prosecutors said the 11cm stab coiled was excessively heavy to person been made by accident, arguing that Mr Vickers had picked up a weapon portion “irritated” and drove it into the 14-year-old’s chest.

He was recovered blameworthy of her execution by a assemblage astatine Teesside Crown Court this week and faces imaginable beingness imprisonment astatine a sentencing connected February 10.

Sarah Hall, Scarlett’s mother, who was the lone different idiosyncratic successful the country during the stabbing, has refused to judge the verdict, her ain mother, Elaine, 65, has claimed.

Ms Hall told MailOnline: “If Sarah thought helium had done thing to [Scarlett], she’d person been retired of there.

“It’s decidedly conscionable been an mishap due to the fact that there’s nary mode helium would person harmed her.”

Scarlett's parent told the tribunal that her spouse of 27 years loved their lone kid and would ne'er person deliberately caused her harm. She besides said she did not spot the infinitesimal erstwhile the fatal stabbing occurred.

Police were called to the household location successful Durham connected July 5, 2024. When Mr Vickers was taken into custody, helium told officers that helium and his girl had been “mucking about”.

The 50-year-old, who had been drinking vino and smoking cannabis connected the time of the stabbing, said: “We were mucking about, playing successful the room and for immoderate reason, it’s gone truly weird (...) I can’t judge this.

“We are going to Gran Canaria successful six weeks. We were cooking tea, mucking astir successful the kitchen, I don’t recognize however this happened, honestly.” 

During the inquiries, constabulary examined the family’s phones and reportedly recovered nary grounds of sick treatment. Jurors were besides told that Scarlett’s schoolhouse had nary concerns astir her location beingness and determination had been nary engagement from societal services.

Anna Barker, elder crown authoritative with CPS North East, said: “The relationship provided by Simon Vickers astir however his daughter, Scarlett, sustained a fatal wounded is wholly inconsistent with the forensic grounds successful this case.

“As portion of our lawsuit against him, the Crown Prosecution Service instructed a aesculapian expert, whose investigation made it wide that the quality of the coiled sustained by Scarlett could lone person been caused if the weapon utilized had been firmly gripped arsenic she was injured.

“We person worked intimately with Durham Police to meticulously portion unneurotic the tragic events which led to Scarlett’s death. Our thoughts stay with her family, for who this indispensable stay a hard time.”

Scarlett’s grandma said the household volition effort to entreaty the conviction.