Authorities have charged a dad in the UK with stabbing his daughter to death, although he claims it was in a bout of harmless fun and the incident was a freak accident.
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Simon Vickers, 50, is facing murder and manslaughter charges for the death of his daughter, Scarlett Vickers, 14. The incident took place in Darlington, UK, on July 5. According to the BBC, Scarlett bled to death from a 4-inch deep chest wound. The defendant alleges that he was "mucking about" and having "harmless fun" during a playfight where the pair threw items at each other.
Simon Vickers claims that he thought he was throwing tongs at his daughter but accidentally threw a knife instead. The news outlet says that Vickers denies the murder and manslaughter charges, although he accepts responsibility for Scarlett's death as a "freak accident."
The Dad Explains That He And His Daughter Were Mucking About In The Kitchen
According to the BBC report, the court was told that the pair were mucking about while waiting for tea. Simon allegedly threw what he thought was a pair of tongs at his daughter. He explains that he heard Scarlett "exclaim in pain." He turned to see blood gushing through her top.
Vickers explained to the court, "Then she just stopped breathing, there was nothing, her eyes just went like doll's eyes." Vickers describes how he attempted to resuscitate his daughter with CPR, but he got no response. His wife, Sarah Hall, continued to attempt CPR while the Emergency Services were en route.
According to the New York Post, Sarah testified that she took out a knife to cut garlic and placed it next to the tongs. The outlet also says that Simon had 'about four glasses of wine' before the incident while he watched soccer on TV.
Simon pleaded to the jury, "We were having harmless fun. There was no knife in any equation. I was throwing a pair of tongs as far as I was aware." He also told jurors that being a father was "the best feeling I ever had" and that he and Sarah had been trying for a child for several years. When asked about his relationship with Scarlett, Simon explained, "I spoilt her. She had me wrapped around her little finger."
The BBC also reported on Thursday that a pathologist told the court that it was "practically impossible" for Scarlett's wound to be caused by a thrown knife. They allege that the knife would have to be held to inflict the injury that took Scarlett's life.
