logo
Murdered girl's mum says dad would 'never harm' her

Murdered girl's mum says dad would 'never harm' her

Yahoo13-03-2025

In January, Simon Vickers was found guilty of murdering his 14-year-old daughter Scarlett after a jury rejected his claim he had killed her in a play-fight. His partner, Scarlett's mother, is adamant it was an accident.
It's the question Sarah Hall will hear for the rest of her life - how can she possibly support the man who was convicted of murdering her daughter?
"I know he'd never harm Scarlett," she insists.
Ms Hall claims 5 July had been a normal Friday night at the family's Darlington home.
She says the close-knit trio, who dubbed themselves the Three S's, called them "happy Fridays" as it meant another week of work and school was over.
Scarlett ate her dinner and spent the evening in her bedroom, chatting with friends and playing games online.
Her parents drank wine and watched the men's European Football Championships on TV in the living room.
Vickers also smoked some cannabis, something he regularly did to ease backache caused by his manual job in a factory, Ms Hall says.
At about 22:00 BST, the teenager joined her parents in their small kitchen where her mother was putting the finishing touches to the adults' tea, spaghetti bolognese and garlic bread.
Ms Hall becomes very emotional when she describes what happened next.
She and her daughter were throwing grapes into each other's mouths, she says, having "just a fun fight".
Vickers also joined in. As Ms Hall was busy draining off the pasta in the sink, her partner of 27 years and their daughter were "mucking about by the back door".
Precisely what happened next is still the source of much confusion for her, but she is certain it was not criminal.
During the play-fight, Ms Hall says she accidentally nipped Vickers with the kitchen tongs.
He reacted and Scarlett "jokingly" called him a wimp, Ms Hall says.
Vickers replied "how would you like it" and swiped the tongs across the worktop towards his daughter, Ms Hall says.
A kitchen knife had been placed next to the tongs, ready to cut the garlic bread, and Ms Hall believes the utensil caught the knife and wedged it against a granite chopping board, leaving the blade protruding out from the bench.
At that same moment, Scarlett moved towards her dad, perhaps in a bid to grab the tongs, and ran on to the blade, Ms Hall says.
During Vickers' trial, he also claimed the injury was inflicted accidentally, but a pathologist said it was "practically impossible" for it to have been caused by anything other than a knife being held firmly in a hand.
Vickers initially said he hurled a knife instead of what he thought was a spatula, but also told paramedics and police at the scene Scarlett had "lunged" towards him and the blade "just went in".
Sentencing Vickers, judge Mr Justice Cotter said he had "no doubt" Scarlett's father had been holding the knife.
What Ms Hall knows for sure is her daughter cried "ow", then blood started to pour from her side.
"I just thought 'that's not right, there's something seriously wrong'," Ms Hall says.
Ms Hall grabbed a tea towel to try and stem the bleeding, her daughter collapsing to the floor.
Vickers took over from her and shouted at Ms Hall to call 999.
It took the ambulance what "felt like forever" to come, but paramedics were actually there within minutes and immediately started trying to save Scarlett's life.
Their efforts were in vain.
Scarlett died from a single 4in-deep (11cm) stab wound to her chest.
The blade needed only mild force to pass between her ribs and into her heart, causing catastrophic bleeding, a pathologist would later say.
The police arrived and Ms Hall and Vickers were arrested for attempted murder and taken to separate police stations.
When Ms Hall was given the news her daughter had died, she cried: "No, no, please no. My little girl."
She was given a sedative and put into a cell where she remembers waking up intermittently, crying, before lapsing back into her medicated sleep.
Scarlett was the girl who had always made her parents laugh.
She was bursting with energy, beautiful, boisterous and sassy, her mother says.
"She was an incredible girl and she was becoming an incredible young woman."
Both Ms Hall and Vickers were initially charged with murdering their daughter, but the case against her was quickly dropped and Vickers alone stood trial at Teesside Crown Court in January.
The strongest evidence against him was from pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton, who concluded the knife must have been being firmly held in a hand to cause the injuries it did.
After a 10-day trial, during which Ms Hall gave evidence in support of Vickers, and about 13 hours of deliberation, jurors found him guilty of murder with a 10 to two majority.
Vickers could have pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter but Ms Hall says he said he needed "to stand up in court and tell them that he would never, ever harm" Scarlett.
Jailing him for life with a minimum prison term of 15 years, Mr Justice Cotter said a "momentary but devastating act of anger" had robbed Scarlett of her life, adding Vickers' account of it being a "freak accident" was "unconvincing and wholly implausible".
Ms Hall says that is "absurd", adding her partner "never had a flash of anger".
"I was there that night," she says. "There were no arguments. There was no temper, no shouting."
She says she was shocked when the verdict was announced, adding: "I thought I'd misheard.
"It's just been a never-ending nightmare."
Responding to social media speculation in the aftermath of the trial that Vickers must have been a controlling and abusive partner, Ms Hall said: "No, never.
"He was understanding, comforting.
"[Our relationship] was very supportive, never controlling."
Ms Hall says her family was a happy one and they "did everything together".
Vickers and Scarlett had a very loving relationship, Ms Hall says, adding they were "as daft as each other".
When challenged about how she can stay with Vickers, Ms Hall says she is still resolutely supporting him.
"How can I blame him for an accident when I know he's in as much pain as I am?" she says.
"If I thought he'd done it deliberately then no, I wouldn't have been here [doing this interview].
"I would have protected her with my life, as would he."
At Vickers' sentencing, the court heard Ms Hall's and Vickers' parents remained "resolute in their belief" he "did not intend Scarlett any harm".
Ms Hall dreams about her daughter every night, remembering with horror each morning that she's really gone.
"I just want her back so much," she says. "I'm not sleeping well, I'm not eating well. I'm just existing."
She has only been back to their home on Geneva Road three times since Scarlett's death.
The semi-detached house is now just a "shell" because "they're not here", she says.
"It was a happy house," she says. "I see the memories everywhere.
"Even going back into [Scarlett's] bedroom, she left a blazer there with all her school stuff still in.
"Everything was just left how it was."
Vickers' sentence is set to be reviewed by the Court of Appeal, after Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC said she thought it was too lenient.
A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line
Follow BBC North East on X and Facebook and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook and both on Nextdoor and Instagram.
Dad guilty of 14-year-old daughter's murder
Teenagers pay tribute to stabbed girl
Girl's fatal wound 'impossible' from thrown knife

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Father who murdered daughter in play-fight could have sentence increased
Father who murdered daughter in play-fight could have sentence increased

Yahoo

time15-05-2025

  • Yahoo

Father who murdered daughter in play-fight could have sentence increased

A father who fatally stabbed his 14-year-old daughter in the heart during a play-fight could have his sentence increased on Thursday after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal. Simon Vickers was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years in February after being found guilty of the murder of his daughter, Scarlett, with sentencing judge Mr Justice Cotter claiming the killing happened in a 'momentary but devastating act of anger'. During his trial at Teesside Crown Court, Vickers, 50, had given different accounts of what happened in the seconds before he stabbed a kitchen knife 11cm into Scarlett's lung and heart at their home in Darlington on July 5 last year. The Solicitor General has referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme, with the case set to be heard by three senior judges in London on Thursday. Vickers' trial heard how Scarlett's mother, Sarah Hall, was making spaghetti bolognese on the evening of July 5 2024, and she and her daughter threw grapes at each other for fun. Ms Hall grabbed some tongs and snipped at her partner of 27 years, and when he complained he had been hurt, Scarlett implied her father was being 'wimpy'. Ms Hall told jurors that during the play-fighting, she turned away to serve the family's evening meal and then heard Scarlett say 'ow'. She said she immediately saw that their only child was pouring with blood, with Scarlett bleeding to death at the scene. Ms Hall made a 999 call and told the operator they had been 'messing about' and that her partner had thrown something at their daughter, and he 'didn't realise'. Vickers told a paramedic that his daughter had lunged towards him during a bout of play-fighting, the court heard, but a jury convicted him of murder by a majority of 10-2 in January. Sentencing him, Mr Justice Cotter said the version of events that the defendant told the jury – that he had accidentally swiped the knife across the work surface and into his daughter's chest without realising – was 'unconvincing and wholly implausible'. Vickers had drunk wine and smoked cannabis that night, but the judge was not sure that alcohol had contributed to the offence, which he was convinced was caused by 'a flash of anger'. Mr Justice Cotter said: 'It stole one young, precious life, ruined your life, your wife's life and Scarlett's relatives and friends.' He continued: 'You have never accepted exactly what happened, although you have accepted it was your actions that caused her death. 'Your beloved daughter deserved that you told the truth. You have not done so.' The hearing before Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, Mr Justice Goose and Mrs Justice Eady is set to begin at 10.30am on Thursday at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Fairfield mom says preschool program "lost" her 2-year-old for unknown amount of time, files police report
Fairfield mom says preschool program "lost" her 2-year-old for unknown amount of time, files police report

CBS News

time03-05-2025

  • CBS News

Fairfield mom says preschool program "lost" her 2-year-old for unknown amount of time, files police report

FAIRFIELD — A mother filed a police report this week after she says a Fairfield preschool program "lost" her child for an unknown amount of time. "That's a mother's worst fear, not knowing where your kid is," said Kelsey Craig, the child's mother. It happened at the Fairfield Community Center on Tuesday morning. Craig's 2-year-old daughter, Scarlett, was enrolled in the "Terrific Tots" day program when she allegedly slipped out of sight. The Fairfield Police Department confirmed to CBS13 that it is investigating to see if a crime occurred. "Whether this is negligence or child endangerment, an oversight just doesn't do it. There has to be some type of actionable change going forward to ensure this doesn't happen to anyone else's baby," Craig said. Craig said that this happened on her daughter's first day at the program and she will not be returning. At pick up on Tuesday, Craig said a teacher pulled her aside and explained that an incident had occurred. "She told me that my child got out. My immediate follow-up was, did you realize she was missing or did someone return her? And it was the latter," Craig said. Craig said that the teacher admitted they were short-staffed that day, and a program director told her a substitute had been called in to help staff the classroom of toddlers. The mother does not know how her daughter got out of the locked classroom. She said her 2-year-old was found down the hallway and in the community center lobby. "I trust you with the care of my child. For her to be unsupervised, unattended, unaccounted for, I can't accept that," Craig said. It is not known how long Scarlett was roaming. For a mother, the mind jumps to the unthinkable. "If she would have been snatched? If she would have traveled outside?" Craig said. "It could have been a lot worse." Scarlett was just steps from the automatic front door, leading to the parking lot. At that time, Craig said, a front desk worker at the community center stepped in. "She told me she was out of eyesight, but within earshot, she heard a man questioning my daughter, 'Where's your mommy, where's your mommy?' I just am very thankful that she was in the right place at the right time," Craig said of the worker who helped return her child to the classroom. She is demanding accountability from the City of Fairfield. A spokesperson provided this statement in response to CBS13: "The safety of our early childhood program participants is of the highest importance to the City of Fairfield. We are investigating this matter and have no further comment at this time." Craig hopes to hear from the city soon, wanting an update on what has changed. "I researched a lot of programs and felt this one was right. My trust is irretrievably broken," Craig said. Craig also says she tried to obtain video surveillance from the lobby to see how long her 2-year-old child was unaccounted for but was told it is part of the investigation and could not be released.

Man ordered to pay over $3.5M in restitution for fraud scheme
Man ordered to pay over $3.5M in restitution for fraud scheme

Yahoo

time15-03-2025

  • Yahoo

Man ordered to pay over $3.5M in restitution for fraud scheme

(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — A Colorado man has been sentenced to 12 years in community corrections and ordered to pay over $3.5 million in restitution after pleading guilty on fraud charges. According to Colorado Attorney General (AG) Phil Weiser's Office, 55-year-old Tra Jay Scarlett pleaded guilty to third degree felony securities fraud in connection to a scheme in which he cheated investors out of over $3.7 million. The AG's Office said Scarlett's scheme involved a multitude of businesses and employees that misrepresented – or blatantly omitted – key information to prospective investors. This included falsifying financial statements, faking contracts with sports drink companies, and using funds for personal expenses rather than the reported business needs. 'Investment fraud can destroy entire families and futures,' said Weiser. 'Holding fraudsters accountable for this type of serious financial theft is key to protecting the public and preventing similar crimes from happening down the road.' Under a business called 'Chatfield PCS, Ltd,' Weiser said Scarlett raised capital from approximately 34 investors for a second company, 'GO ECO Manufacturing, Inc' from February 2016 to January 2021. GO ECO was purportedly founded to provide ecological packaging and bottle services to corporate clients, promising investors that their money would generate 15-20% in annual returns. Weiser said not only did GO ECO not provide bottling or packaging services, but it also didn't generate any revenue during this time. Pitched as a low-risk, high-reward investment that came with share certificates for their contributions, Scarlett told investors GO ECO already had 'strategic partnerships' with drink manufacturers and commercial clients. Making his business seem like a guarantee for investment profit, Scarlett spent five years making fraudulent sales of securities to investors, never once mentioning any of the actual risks associated with their investments. Investment scams all have telltale signs, with the common theme of promising massive returns that are exponential in comparison to your investment. For more information on how to spot these investment scams, or to file a complaint about a suspected investment scam, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store