A sex offender has been convicted of murdering a seven-year-old girl after escaping justice for more than 30 years.
Nikki Allan’s family never gave up their fight to see justice done after the youngster was lured to her brutal death in a derelict warehouse 300 yards from their home in Sunderland’s East End in 1992.
After a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, neighbour David Boyd was found guilty of murdering Nikki, who was attacked with a brick and stabbed 37 times in the chest, before dumping her – dead or dying – in the basement of the Old Exchange building.
Cries of “yes” and “you b*****d” could be heard in the public gallery family members hugged and shouted in jubilation as the verdict came in.
Nikki‘s sister Stacey Allan shouted “yes, thank you” as she left court. Boyd, now 55 years-old, heavily tattooed and wearing a white T-shirt, did not visibly react.
Northumbria Police first prosecuted the wrong man, George Heron, who was cleared after a trial in 1993.
Outlining the prosecution case, Richard Wright KC told the court Boyd was known to Nikki’s family, lived in the same block of flats as her and was the boyfriend of their babysitter.
Nikki had been out with friends on the evening of 7 October 1992 and a woman told police she saw a little girl wandering with a man now known to be Boyd.
Mr Wright said: “The little girl would occasionally drop behind and would then skip to catch up.
“This was Nikki Allan. She was with her killer and she was unwittingly skipping to her death.”
Boyd, aged 25 at the time of the killing and now of Chesterton Court, Stockton, Teesside, denied murder but refused to go into the witness box to give evidence.
Prosecutors said Nikki must have known her killer to willingly follow him – grainy CCTV showed a male adult being trailed by a child.
Locals told police they heard piercing screams on the night Nikki was killed.
And the tight-knit community helped officers, who carried out an overnight search when it was realised the schoolgirl was missing.
The next morning, Nikki’s shoes and coat were found outside the dockside warehouse – with her body found in the basement.
Her blood was discovered outside the only entry point, a boarded-up window about six feet off the ground.
Investigators believe Boyd must have hit Nikki outside the building, then lifted her inside and carried out his monstrous attack, during which he left traces of DNA on her clothes.
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.”
Seven years later, Boyd indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl in a Teesside park.
He already had a conviction for breach of the peace in 1986 after asking an underage girl for a kiss.
He told his probation officer he had fantasised about naked “young girls”.
In 2017, advances in DNA techniques allowed police to re-examine Nikki’s case and extract samples from her clothing.
Tests indicated a one in 28,000 match for Boyd – or a male relative of his – was found on the clothes “in multiple areas”, jurors heard.
Police were then able to go back and request a DNA test from the man they considered a mere witness 31 years ago.
Boyd was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2018 and charged last year after a painstaking investigation involving the DNA testing of 839 men linked to the area at the time.
During one of his police interviews, Boyd wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “I am unstoppable”.
Nikki’s mother Sharon Henderson, 55, has been critical of Northumbria Police’s investigations over the years and came to mistrust the force.
Speaking to reporters outside court, she spoke of the “injustice” that “this evil man slipped through the net to murder Nikki when he was on their (police) files in the first place”.
“Three doors down from Nikki’s grandparents. They should have investigated him straight away,” she said.
Ms Henderson has devoted more than 30 years of her life to see justice done. Asked how she found the strength to keep fighting, Ms Henderson said: “Because Nikki’s my daughter and I love her.”
Speaking after the verdict, detective chief superintendent Lisa Theaker, the senior investigating officer in the case, added: “Nikki would have been 37 now and who knows what her life could have been. But her future was cruelly taken away her by David Boyd.
“The pain and suffering that he has caused, and to so many people, is immeasurable. This is a huge day for Nikki‘s family. I would like to thank them for their incredible strength, after 30 years, they have justice.
“Since 2017, as an investigative team, we have worked tirelessly on what has been a complex and challenging case. Our commitment has always been to find the person responsible and ensure they were brought to justice.
“New forensic techniques were a key part in this investigation, and we have been supported by incredible experts, witnesses and specialists who have helped us discover and prove who was responsible.
“The residents of Sunderland have also played their part in achieving justice for Nikki and her family. I want to take this opportunity to thank each person who assisted our investigation and provided their DNA for elimination.
“Without their help, today’s conviction would not have been possible.”
