Judges at the Court of Appeal have ruled that a father who murdered his daughter at their home will not have his sentence increased.

Simon Vickers, 50, stabbed his 14-year-old daughter Scarlett Vickers through the heart on 5 July 2024, at their home in Darlington.

He was given a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years in jail - the lowest sentence possible for murder.

An appeal was submitted to the Attorney General, which argued that the sentence was unduly lenient.

Today (Thursday 15 May), Court of Appeal judges ruled the sentence should remain the same.

Vickers, of Geneva Road, denied Scarlett's murder all through his trial at Teesside Crown Court.

He described what happened as a "freak accident" in a kitchen "play fight". The prosecution said that the 11cm wound in Scarlett's chest was too deep to have been caused accidentally.

A jury did not believe his testimony and found him guilty of Scarlett's murder on Monday 27 January.

Scarlett was the only child of Vickers and his partner Sarah Hall, who has since stood by him.

Ms Hall, who said she been cooking spaghetti bolognese in the kitchen with them that night, has been with Vickers for 27 years.

She said in court that he would "never hurt her," and since the jury's verdict, has maintained that she believes her partner would have never hurt Scarlett deliberately.