Last summer, Sarah Hall lost her only daughter, Scarlett Vickers, who died after being stabbed through the heart in the kitchen of their family home.
Now she’s standing by the man convicted of her murder – her partner of 27 years, Simon Vickers. Vickers was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment, of which he must serve a minimum of 15 years.
Throughout his trial at Teesside Crown Court, the 50-year-old insisted upon his innocence, claiming 14-year-old Scarlett died during a ‘family play fight’ at their home in County Durham. From the witness stand, grieving mum Sarah supported Vickers’ “freak accident” defence, claiming she wouldn’t still be with him if she’d believed under any circumstances that he’d deliberately harmed their teenage daughter.
Vickers had claimed he’d accidentally thrown the kitchen knife while playfully grabbing a pair of tongs – but an expert advised the court that the blade had likely been “held tightly” when it was plunged into Scarlett’s heart. Even as Vickers faces life behind bars, Sarah, 45, hasn’t given up hope and remains “resolute in her beliefs” that her long-term partner never intended to injure Scarlett.
But the loss of her daughter has understandably seen the heartbroken mother distraught, struggling to eat or sleep as she serves her ‘own life sentence’, according to reports.
Appeal bid
The Mail Online has revealed that Sarah, along with other members of the wider family, is standing by Vickers, who is incarcerated at HMP Durham. They are hoping to appeal his guilty verdict.
Nicholas Lumley KC, defending, told Teesside Crown Court: “Each of those left behind by Scarlett have been left serving life sentences of their own from which none of them will ever be free. Sarah Hall (Scarlett’s mother) 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. None can believe that he will now be known as Scarlett’s murderer.”
Scarlett’s grandfather, Barrie, yesterday defended Vickers, insisting his son would never have intentionally hurt the schoolgirl “in a million years”. Barrie, 78, told The Sun: “He would never in a million years have hurt her deliberately. Scarlett was his life.”
Constant tears
Grieving mum Sarah, who has been speaking with Vickers ‘every day’ over the phone, is reportedly living with Barrie, not far from the home she’d once shared with Vickers and Scarlett. Sarah’s sister Rebecca Hall, 42, told the Mail: “Sarah won’t eat, she won’t sleep.
“She just looks at pictures of Scarlett all the time, crying her heart out. She’s lost a daughter. She’s lost everything. She won’t go back to the house. I just don’t know what to do for her. What can you do for someone that’s just lost their child? She’s just lost all purpose.”
It’s understood that Sarah and Vickers had been told they may never be able to have children of their own, and that Scarlett was their “miracle baby”. Relatives remain adamant that, had Sarah had any doubts about Vickers, she wouldn’t be sticking by him.
Sarah’s mother, Elaine Hall, 64, also told the publication: “They doted on Scarlett. They bought her everything, they took her on holiday everywhere. They used to give her more or less everything, whatever she wanted. Because they loved her.
“Everyone’s just been ripped apart by it. Simon must have had a knife, but I don’t think he knows really what happened. But if Sarah thought he had done anything she would not defend him. Not in a million years.”
Show of loyalty in court
Addressing the court from the witness box on January 21, Sarah gave evidence in support of Vickers, stating: “We had a very happy family life; we all loved each other very much, and we lived in a little bubble. Simon treated Scarlett very well, he was a very hands-on dad, he loved her very much.”
Nicholas Lumley KC, defending Vickers, asked Sarah: “Did you have any concerns about his care?”, to which she replied: “No, never.” Mr Lumley then queried: “If you had thought he had murdered your daughter, would you still be with him?”. Sarah responded: “Definitely not, she was my number one, she was my best friend, my girl.”
Recounting the night of Scarlett’s death, Sarah remembered how her daughter had come downstairs from her bedroom to chat to them at approximately 10 pm. According to Sarah, the conversation was “fun”, with the family eagerly discussing their holiday plans.
Sarah recalled how she and Scarlett had tried to throw grapes into each other’s mouths, with Vickers joining in. She then started snipping playfully at Vickers with some tongs, with Scarlett telling her father, “Don’t be so wimpy” when he complained that it hurt.
It was at this point that Sarah claims she’d turned away from Vickers and Scarlett to serve out their pasta dish, stating: “I was aware they were still mucking around.” Opening up about the moment she realised her daughter had been stabbed in the heart, Sarah told the jury: “She was just looking at me; I said, ‘What’s up?’ and then I saw blood coming out of her side.”
Mr Lumley then questioned Sarah as to whether she’d ever asked Vickers what he had done to Scarlett. She clarified that she had not, explaining: “It would never cross my mind that he would ever do anything to her.” She added: “I don’t know how it happened, but I know he would never harm her, so it didn’t even enter my head.”
Mr Lumley then asked Sarah whether she had tried to protect Vickers during her police interview. Sarah said: “No, there was nothing to protect”, adding: “It was an accident, I know he would never harm her. She was my little girl, she was my best friend, she always came first for the both of us.”
However, ultimately the jurors found Vickers guilty of his daughter’s murder, to the dismay of his family. Sentencing Vickers, Mr Justice Cotter said: “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. You have never given a truthful explanation of what happened.”
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
