A woman whose 14-year-old daughter was allegedly murdered during a kitchen play-fight with her father believes the stabbing was an accident, a court has heard.

Scarlett Vickers suffered a 4in-deep (11cm) wound to her chest and “bled to death” at her family home in Darlington in July, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Her father Simon Vickers denies murder and manslaughter and has said it was a “freak accident” while the two were “mucking about”.

Scarlett’s mother Sarah Hall said they were a loving, happy family and she was still with Mr Vickers, her partner of 27 years, as she did not believe he deliberately harmed her.

The court has heard the family of three were throwing grapes at each other in the kitchen of their Geneva Road home on the evening of 5 July when Scarlett was stabbed.

Mr Vickers claimed he “swiped” a pair of tongs towards his daughter but had not realised there was a knife next to them which caused the fatal injury, although he accepted being responsible for the wound.

A pathologist has said it was “practically impossible” for the wound to be caused by a thrown blade but rather the knife was being firmly held in someone’s hand, which Mr Vickers vehemently denies.

He previously told the court he may have knocked the knife so it got stuck against a hot plate and was jutting out over the counter, with Scarlett running on to the blade while chasing him.

Under questioning from Mr Vickers’ barrister Nicholas Lumley KC, Ms Hall said they had a “very happy family life” and they lived in a “bubble”, adding: “We all loved each other very much.”

She said Mr Vickers was a doting and “very hands-on” dad who treated Scarlett “very well” and “loved her very much”.

Ms Hall said she was still in a relationship with Mr Vickers.

“If you thought he murdered your daughter, would you still be with him?” Mr Lumley asked.

Ms Hall replied: “Definitely not, she was my number one, my best friend, my little girl.”

She said they were all in a “happy” mood on 5 July and were looking forward to a holiday in Gran Canaria together.

Ms Hall said the family started throwing grapes at each other in the kitchen as she was making a spaghetti Bolognese, but it was all just “playing” and “fun”.

She had got a knife out to cut garlic bread and placed it near some tongs, the court heard.

Ms Hall had her back turned when she suddenly heard her daughter say “ow”, the court heard.

She turned to face Scarlett and saw blood pouring out of her daughter’s side, which she tried to stem with a tea towel.

Ms Hall said she did not know how Scarlett was injured and “made an assumption” the knife had been thrown with the other utensil.

She said she did not think her partner could be responsible, adding: “It did not even cross my mind he would do anything to her.

“I know he would never harm her so it didn’t even enter my head.”

Asked if she was trying to “protect” Mr Vickers with her testimony, Ms Hall replied: “No, there is nothing to protect.

“It was an accident, I know he would never harm her. She always came first for the both of us.”

The court has heard Ms Hall told paramedics Mr Vickers and Scarlett had been “chucking” knives around, but she told jurors she was in a state of shock and “couldn’t understand what was happening” when she allegedly made those comments.

“I don’t think I was thinking straight,” Ms Hall told the court.

The trial continues.