Scarlett Vickers' mum unable to return home after partner Simon guilty of teen's murder

Simon Vickers' partner of their daughter's murder and has been unable to return to the home where she died, family have revealed.

A jury in February, 14, and he was jailed for life. But his partner of 27 years Sarah Hall has stood by him as he maintains his innocence and his family are looking for experts to help his appeal. Sarah has been unable to return to live in the former family home in Darlington, Co Durham where Scarlett died in the tragedy on July 5 last year, Sarah's sister has revealed.

Scarlett during 'horseplay' in the family's kitchen. Prosecutors claimed Simon picked up the kitchen knife and thrust it into Scarlett's chest between her fifth and sixth ribs, the blade going four inches (11cm) into her chest cavity and piercing her heart.

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The family say he accidentally swiped kitchen tongs along the counter towards Scarlett, but also caught the kitchen knife. As Scarlett jumped forward, the knife was skidding on a counter and they met with enough force to send the blade into her chest.

Simon is being held in in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, around 174 miles from his family in Co Durham. It is "another blow" for Sarah, 44, as it is too far away for her to visit.

She remains adamant that he is innocent of murder and would like to see his life sentence overturned. But the Solicitor General has referred the case to the Court of Appeal which could see the 15 year minimum term increased, adding to Sarah's anguish.

Sarah described her ordeal as a 'never ending nightmare'. "I don't think we've ever come out of shock," she said. "It's absurd. He never had a flash of anger. I was there that night, there were no arguments. There was no temper, no shouting." Sarah refuses to condemn him and has launched a campaign to have his murder sentence overturned, saying: "How can I blame him for an accident when I know he's in as much pain as I am?"

Ms Hall says the evidence of a pathologist that said Vickers must have had a firm grip on the knife when it entered Scarlett's chest was flawed and is looking for a way to appeal against his conviction and for him to be freed. She said: "We want to remember Scarlett and grieve together, and go to the places we went with her and remember her."

The jury during Vickers' trial heard expert evidence at his trial. forensic pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton said the knife went through Scarlett's lung and into the left ventricle of her heart, causing fatal blood loss.

Dr Bolton said it was her opinion that the knife was being "held tightly", and that it would be "practically impossible" for the fatal injury to have been caused by throwing it, one of the possible versions of events put before the jury. After a 10 day trial, in majority verdict, they found Simon guilty of murder. Sentencing him, trial Judge Mr Justice Cotter said: “It was a momentary but devastating act of anger."

Now his supporters are looking to get another pathologist to examine the report into Scarlett's injuries. Scarlett's aunt, Sarah's sister Rebecca Hall, 42, of Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, said: "Pathologists who work in the same area do not want to contradict each other. Possibly, we will be looking at a retired one, that is one avenue at the moment.

"We have to deal with the unduly lenient sentence complaint against Simon first, we are waiting to hear when that is going to be, we are not sure when that is going ahead. There is a possibility that his sentence could be increased."