Simon Vickers: Dad who claimed teen daughter’s death was ‘freak accident’ jailed for at least 15 years
A father has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 15 years for murdering his 14-year-old daughter.
Simon Vickers was found guilty last month of killing his daughter Scarlett Vickers after stabbing her in the heart at their home in Darlington, County Durham, in July 2024.
The 50-year-old, who denied charges of manslaughter and murder, gave different accounts of what happened in the seconds before he plunged a kitchen knife 11cm into her chest.
As it happened: Simon Vickers sentencing
Simon Vickers. Pic: Durham Constabulary
Scarlett’s mother, Sarah Hall, was the only other person in the room, and stood by her partner, previously telling Teesside Crown Court that Vickers would never have harmed her.
During sentencing, Nicholas Lumley KC, defending, said: “Sarah Hall remains resolute in her belief that the father of her only child did not intend Scarlett any harm and his parents are of the same view.”
Ms Hall did not see the knife sticking in her daughter, Mr Justice Cotter said, because Vickers immediately removed it and put it on the side in the kitchen.
The jury, by a majority of 10-2, convicted him of murder after 13 hours of deliberations, rather than the less serious alternative of manslaughter, or to clear him.
Ms Hall and other family members in the public gallery looked stunned when the verdict was delivered.
Vickers himself did not react in the dock.
His sentence is the lowest minimum term the judge can pass down for a murder verdict.
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Killer dad told police: ‘We were mucking about’
During the trial, Vickers insisted his daughter’s death had been a “freak accident”.
He claimed he had swiped what he thought were tongs along a work surface, into her chest, and never realised it was a knife.
The judge described his version of events as “unconvincing and wholly implausible”.
Prosecutor Mark McKone KC had told jurors that Scarlett’s death was not an accident.
Home Office pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton explained to the jury that how the knife went into Scarlett’s chest meant it must have been held in a hand, with force.
Smoked cannabis and drank wine
During the sentencing, Mr Justice Cotter said Vickers had “smoked cannabis and drank some wine” after work.
Ms Hall was cooking spaghetti bolognese when Scarlett came down from her bedroom, around 10.15pm, and they were said to have thrown grapes at each other for fun.
The knife that Scarlett was killed with.
Pic: PA
The mother said she then snipped at Vickers with the tongs and he complained it hurt – to which Scarlett called him “wimpy”.
Ms Hall claimed to turn away to serve the meal and then heard Scarlett say “ow”.
When she looked back, their only child was said to be pouring with blood.
In the 999 call, Ms Hall told the operator they had been “messing about” and her partner had thrown something at their daughter and “he didn’t realise”.
Vickers told one paramedic that his daughter had lunged towards him during a bout of play-fighting, the court was told.
“Exactly what then happens only you know,” The judge said, referring to the moment of the stabbing.
For the sentencing, the court heard the judge took into account the fact it was a momentary act, with no premeditation.
‘Loss of temper’
Mr Justice Cotter continued: “Scarlett was just 14, a normal, healthy girl with a long life ahead of her when it was cut short by you.
“She died in the kitchen of her own home within minutes of having been stabbed.
“It went from an ordinary, happy family Friday night to tragedy within seconds due to what must have been your loss of temper.
“There is no other plausible explanation.”
He added: “You have never given a truthful explanation of what happened.”
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Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Craig Rudd said: “We may never know precisely what happened in that kitchen, but we can be certain there is no justification for what Simon Vickers did.
“Had he not picked up that knife Scarlett would still be alive today.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
“It has been a success.”
Just Stop Oil (JSO) insists it’s been “successful” – as its members ceremoniously hang up their orange high-vis vests during a march in central London.
Since the group formed three years ago, it’s drawn attention and criticism for its colourful, controversial protests, which ranged from disrupting sporting events to throwing soup on Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and climbing on gantries over the M25. It sprayed orange paint over Stonehenge, and cost police forces tens of millions of pounds.
Those days are now behind it; to the relief of many.
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As a few hundred activists marched through London on Saturday, blocking roads as they went; taxi drivers blared their horns and football fans shouted abuse from the pavement.
The PA News Agency filmed the moment a white minivan seemed to drive towards a group of protesters blocking the road.
Protesters shouted “I’m being pushed back!” to police, while the driver could be heard shouting “What about my right to get home?” to the officers gathered.
But JSO never set out to be popular. And it believes its tactics – though hated – have been successful; thanks to the new Labour government’s commitment to not issue new oil or gas exploration licences.
That’s why, it says, its ceasing direct action.
JSO hangs up its high-vis jackets in central London on Saturday
A washing line of high-vis jackets signifies JSO’s disbanding
“This moment marks the success of the JSO campaign – our demand was to end new oil and gas licences and that is now government policy.
“As a result of which four billion barrels of oil are being kept under the North Sea. The campaign has reached a natural end.”
Dr Oscar Berglund, senior lecturer in international public and social policy, disagrees that JSO is disappearing because it’s been “successful”.
He told Sky News policing strength and public perception might have more to do with it.
“They have very low levels of popularity. About 17% of the British population are kind of broadly supportive of what Just Stop Oil do. And that’s too low to recruit.
“It’s difficult to recruit members to something that is that unpopular, and then that a lot of people for good reason I think have kind of stopped believing in that kind of disruption as a means to achieve meaningful change.”
Group triggers specific new protest laws
One thing it did change is the law.
Policing commentator Graham Wettone tells us: “Obstruction of the highway, obstruction of rail networks for example, these are specific offences now.
“It’s given the police more tactics, more methods, more offences they can consider, even stopping and searching somebody who may have something to either lock themselves on or glue themselves to something.”
A JSO activist holds a picture of an imprisoned colleague
Emma Smart was held in prison for her activism with both Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.
“The high-vis might be going away,” she tells me, “but we aren’t.”
“These people aren’t going anywhere, we are still committed, dedicated, terrified by the failings of this government and governments around the world.”
JSO activists throw orange paint at van Gogh’s sunflowers
Orange smoke set off by JSO protesters at Stonehenge
She hopes for a time of reflection before it returns in a new form but says the need for climate activism is stronger than ever.
She also believes that while most people dislike JSO tactics, it still raises awareness of the cause and might even push people to more moderate campaign groups.
Just Stop Oil came behind other, similarly controversial climate campaign groups like Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion, and as it says goodbye, its disruptive methods have been seized upon by other organisations like the Pro-Palestinian Youth Justice.
The infamous Just Stop Oil orange vests might be going away, but the individual activists, their cause and campaign tactics feel here to stay.
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