Blood Ties: The Murder of Scarlett Vickers

50-year-old Simon Vickers was the very definition of a devoted father. He lived in a modest suburban semi just outside of Darlington in County Durham with his long-time partner, Sarah Hall, and their 14-year-old daughter, Scarlett. Friends described him as hands-on, affectionate, and utterly devoted to his only child.

So why then, on the evening of July 5th, while Sarah stood at the stove cooking spaghetti Bolognese for her family, did Simon drive a kitchen knife eleven centimetres into Scarlett’s chest?

Why would a loving father turn into a killer in the blink of an...