Grandad speaks out after dad who fatally stabbed daughter during kitchen ‘play-fight’ jailed for life

The grandfather of a teenager who was fatally stabbed by her father after he was convicted of her murder has spoken out.

14-year-old Scarlett Vickers died after being stabbed in the chest by her father, Simon, in what was described as a 'play fight' at the family home.

Vickers, 50, has since been found guilty of his daughter's killing and sentenced to life in prison, serving a minimum of 15 years behind bars.

Vickers had maintained throughout the trial that he did not intend to kill his daughter and that Scarlett had accidentally received the 11cm chest wound as a result of a 'play fight' gone horribly wrong.

Simon Vickers has been found guilty of stabbing his 14-year-old daughter Scarlett (Durham Police/PA)

Following his sentencing at Teeside Crown Court, Scarlett's grandfather has spoken out in support of his son and claimed that he would never 'deliberately' hurt his daughter.

"He would never in a million years have hurt her deliberately," Barrie, 78, said in an interview with The Sun.

"Scarlett was his life. Simon would have killed himself before he laid one finger on that girl. And I'd be the first one not to speak to him again had I thought for one second he did it."

He added: "We know Simon wouldn't have killed her. We know the truth. It was an accident."

Barrie isn't the first person to stand by Vickers' side either, as Scarlett's mother, Sarah Hall - Vickers' partner - has also supported him.

Sarah had stood by her partner throughout the trial, where jurors learnt that Scarlett had bled to death in her kitchen, telling the court: "It was an accident, I know he would never harm her."

Defence Nicholas Lumley KC added that the family shared the view that Vickers 'did not intend Scarlett any harm' on the night in question.

"None can believe that he will now be known as Scarlett’s murderer," he said.

Vickers will serve a minimum of 15 years in prison (Google Maps)

However, this point of view wasn't shared by Mr Justice Cotter, who called Vickers' version of events 'unconvincing and wholly implausible.'

"You have never accepted exactly what happened, although you have accepted it was your actions that caused her death," he said.

"Your beloved daughter deserved that you told the truth, you have not done so."

He continued: "Scarlett was just 14, a normal, healthy woman 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."

Christopher Atkinson, Head of the Complex Casework Unit for CPS North East, said: "It is difficult to understand what motivated Simon Vickers to take the life of his daughter, Scarlett.

"In the absence of any plausible explanation on his part, we may never fully understand the circumstances which led to her tragic death.

"What is abundantly clear is that the account provided by Simon Vickers was wholly inconsistent with the forensic evidence in this case.

"Crucially, the medical expert we instructed to examine Scarlett’s injuries made it clear that they could only have been caused had the knife been firmly gripped as it made contact."