A man has been found guilty of murdering a schoolgirl 30 years ago, after he adopted seven fake names to escape authorities.
David Boyd, 55, denied murdering Nikki Allan, 7, who was discovered battered and stabbed in a derelict warehouse, reports the Daily Mirror. Nikki was hit with a brick and repeatedly knifed at the abandoned building in Sunderland, in October 1992, a court heard.
The killer was finally snared and arrested 26 years later, after cops had identified another man, and Nikki's own mother Sharon Henderson, 56, worked to find the correct culprit.
Boyd stood trial for murder and jurors were told he already had previous for indecent assault on a minor and a probation officer said he admitted to "sexual" attraction to little girls.
Nikki's tearful mum could barely speak as she stood on the steps at Newcastle Crown Court, before she was escorted into a nearby pub by friends and family.
Nikki's sister, Stacey Allan, exited with her hands in the air and exclaimed: “Waited my whole life for this me, and we got guilty.”
The sibling later added: “I can get on with my life now. I remember everything. It’s like winning the lottery."
Another family friend walked down the court steps with her hands raised yelling: “Justice.“
She continued as she walked away: “Justice. That’s all that matters.”
Several cops stood at Newcastle Crown Court, as did various members of the press.
Jurors were warned by the judge, Mrs Justice Christina Lambert, not to put too much weight on the previous convictions, which also included a count of breaching the peace in 1986 when he approached four children in Sacriston, County Durham, and grabbed a 10-year-old girl.
However, the jury foreman at court confirmed it was a unanimous decision to find him guilty after less than two hours of deliberation. This was met with huge cheers from the public gallery and some of Nikki's family stood up shouting 'Yes!' and "Thank you!'.
The public gallery was then cleared, and distraught mum Sharon was led out by family members. Nikki's sister Stacey Allan shouted "yes, thank you."
Once the verdict was read out, Boyd, dressed in a white T-shirt, barely flickered, apart from looking across the public gallery.
The Judge Mrs Justice Lambert thanked the jury, and said: "I hope you appreciate the importance of what you have done over the past weeks. This may well be the most important public duty you perform in your life."
The sentencing of Boyd is set to be televised on Tuesday May 23, Mrs Lambert added.
Speaking after conviction, Assistant Chief Constable Brad Howe, of Northumbria Police, said: "Today is about justice – for Nikki and her family. We thank them for their patience and strength over the last 30 years and our thoughts very much continue to be with them.
"David Boyd hid his crime, lying about his involvement and prolonging the family’s suffering, knowing all along that he had taken the life of their little girl.
"The investigation into Nikki’s murder has been one of the most complex and comprehensive ever conducted by Northumbria Police.
"I’m extremely proud of the investigative team and all those who played their part in securing this conviction. I further hope this sends a strong message that no matter how long ago an offence took place, we will do everything we can to see justice served."
Prosecutor, Richard Wright KC, said Boyd, then aged 25, was a neighbour of Nikki's family, and knew the girl. He went onto say that DNA matching Boyd was found on her clothes.
The probe into the child's death was relaunched in 2017 and Boyd, from County Durham, was subsequently arrested. It was claimed Boyd lured the girl to her death on the evening of October 7, 1992 while she was playing outside with friends.
Jurors were told Boyd, was Nikki's babysitter's boyfriend, lived in the same block of flats as the child, was previously convicted of indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl in 1999. He also was said to have had an "intimate knowledge" of the warehouse where the murder took place.
The jury heard how Boyd admitted to being the last person to see her alive, and matched the description of a man who was spotted by a passer by with a little girl 'skipping behind him.' Mrs Justice Lambert said the prosecution case relies on "circumstantial evidence".
She said: "(There are) different pieces or strands of evidence which, when put together, the prosecution says, leave no doubt that the defendant is guilty."
The judge continued by saying the defence case was Boyd did not kill Nikki and the strands of evidence are "the result of innocent coincidences".
Before sending the jury out on Friday, she told the panel they were not under pressure time-wise to come to a decision.
Mrs Lambert said: “ Don’t feel under any pressure to return a verdict today or at the beginning of next week. You take as long as you need to go through the issues carefully and make your decision.”
Speaking before the conviction, Sharon said: "I just decided I had to stand up for myself. Three years after she died, with no liaison officer, I felt like she had been forgotten, and she was so young, that just did not feel right."
Nikki's sister Stacey Allan, 39, described the verdict as the 'best day' of her life.
She said: “We never thought that we would see this day, it is an amazing feeling having that verdict. We are ecstatic.
"It is justice at last for Nikki, I am so happy, it is the best day of my life. The police have so many lessons to learn, we were starting to give up hope after 25 years.
"But my mum persevered, she never gave up on Nikki, she is an amazing woman."
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