Girl's fatal wound 'impossible' from thrown knife

A stab wound which killed a 14-year-old girl during an alleged play-fight with her father was "practically impossible" to have been caused by a thrown knife, a court has heard.

Scarlett Vickers suffered catastrophic blood loss when she was knifed in the chest at her family home in Darlington in July, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Her father Simon Vickers, 50, denies murder and manslaughter and said her death was a "tragic accident" while the two were "mucking about" and throwing utensils.

A pathologist told jurors the approximate 4in (11cm)-deep wound would have required only mild force from a knife being held in a firm grip.

Scarlett was declared dead at her home on Geneva Road shortly before midnight on 5 July, the court has heard.

Her parents said the family of three were messing around and throwing things at each other in the kitchen when Mr Vickers hurled a knife instead of what he thought was a spatula.

Forensic pathologist Jennifer Bolton said it was "practically impossible" for a thrown kitchen knife to have caused the injury.

She said kitchen knives were not designed to be thrown and the 8in (20cm)-long blade would have had to strike at a 90-degree angle to pass through Scarlett's pyjama top and into her chest, otherwise it would have rebounded off.

Instead Dr Bolton concluded the knife was being held "tightly" with a firm grip when it injured Scarlett.

Dr Bolton said the knife passed between two ribs and pierced through a lung into her heart causing major blood loss and would have required only mild force to penetrate so deep.

She said Scarlett would have fallen unconscious and died within minutes of the blow.

Under cross-examination by Mr Vicker's barrister Nicholas Lumley KC, Dr Bolton said Scarlett could have survived had the knife gone a millimetre or two either side of where it ended up.

Mr Lumley previously told jurors Mr Vickers bore "moral responsibility" for her death but he had not acted unlawfully.

As well as claiming he had thrown a knife, Mr Vickers told paramedics and police at the scene Scarlett had "lunged" towards him and the blade "just went in".

Jurors also heard the 999 call made by Scarlett's mother Sarah Hall in which she said her daughter was "on the floor losing quite a lot of blood".

When asked by the call handler what had happened, Ms Hall said they were "messing about" and having a "fun fight" when her partner "threw something and didn't realise", the court heard.

Mr Vickers could be heard in the background repeatedly saying "Scarlett" and "come on talk to me".

He then performed CPR under the instruction of the call handler before the first ambulance arrived at about 22:50 BST, the court heard.

First on the scene was paramedic Andrew Crow who said both parents told him Mr Vickers and Scarlett had been "messing about" and "chucking knives".

He said Mr Vickers picked up and showed him a kitchen knife which caused the paramedic to feel "unnerved".

Mr Crow said Ms Hall was "frantic" but Mr Vickers seemed "quite cool and collected" and "didn't show much emotion" as their daughter was being treated.

Footage from a police officer's body worn camera was also shown to the court in which Mr Vickers was sitting on a sofa and could be heard saying "we were mucking about".

The officer said Mr Vickers seem drunk, was slurring his speech and smelled of alcohol, with Mr Vickers telling officers the family had had a "nice" day drinking wine and watching football.

He could be heard telling police he and Scarlett were "just throwing stuff about" and he could not understand what had happened.

"I want to die, I don't believe it, I love her," Mr Vickers said, with officers telling the court he appeared hysterical and distraught.

The trial continues.

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