Scarlett Vickers: Parents of girl fatally stabbed in family kitchen 'serving life sentences,' jury told

A Teesside Crown Court assemblage heard the begetter of Scarlett Vickers picked up a weapon and stabbed his girl successful the thorax aft the household was reportedly playing astir successful the kitchen

The parents of schoolgirl Scarlett Vickers who died aft she suffered a fatal coiled to her bosom are serving "life sentences," jurors were told.

Simon Vickers, 50, has denied the execution and manslaughter of his 14-year-old daughter, astatine their location successful Darlington, County Durham, past July. The prosecution astatine Teesside Crown Court claims helium picked up a weapon and stabbed her successful the thorax aft the household indulged successful horseplay portion her mother, Sarah Hall, Vickers’ spouse of 27 years, cooked spaghetti bolognese.

They accidental helium has changed his relationship of what happened, having claimed helium accidentally threw a weapon astatine her, with an adept pathologist saying that the limb indispensable person been held owed to the quality of the wound. In his closing code to the jury, Nicholas Lumley KC, defending Vickers, said the prosecution did not person to beforehand a motive, but determination was not one.

The experienced barrister described it arsenic 1 of the “saddest and astir superior cases”. He reminded the assemblage however Scarlett’s parent referred to the adjacent household radical arsenic the 3 S’s.

Mr Lumley said of the teenager: “She was uncovering her independence, supported astatine each crook by her begetter and her mother, there’s nary hint of disharmony successful that house.” He added: “Neither genitor asks for your pity, your indulgence oregon adjacent for your forgiveness.

“Both parents are serving beingness sentences successful the consciousness that their lives are broken, their hearts are breached and this process volition not mend them.” Mr Lumley said: “You indispensable determine whether the nonaccomplishment of their daughter’s beingness makes him a murderer.

“You indispensable determine whether the nonaccomplishment of their daughter’s beingness makes him blameworthy of manslaughter. Both necessitate him to person deliberately equipped himself and to person attacked his daughter.”

Mark McKone KC, prosecuting, said that Vickers loved his girl and helium was “devastated” by her decease and helium said the assemblage would person sympathy for the family. He said that Vickers had lied astir what happened that night.

“The prosecution taxable that Mr Vickers did not and could not person stabbed his girl done the bosom accidentally,” Mr McKone said. Vickers could not person accidentally swiped the weapon on the enactment aboveground into her chest, the prosecution has said.

Mr McKone reminded the assemblage Vickers had smoked cannabis connected the time and had been drinking wine. Alcohol coupled with an incidental wherever his girl and his spouse threw grapes astatine each different successful the kitchen, with immoderate ending connected the level wherever their canine could devour them, could person led him to go irritated, the prosecution said.

The prosecution said adjacent picking up a weapon with an intent to “prod” his girl was unlawful. Mr McKone said: “This has gone beyond horseplay and Mr Vickers could and should person realised determination was a hazard successful that tiny room of causing superior wounded with a knife.”

Mr Justice Cotter sent the assemblage retired to see their verdicts earlier they were sent location to transportation connected deliberations connected Thursday morning.