David Boyd found guilty of seven-year-old Nikki Allan’s murder in 1992

A man has been found guilty of murdering a seven-year-old girl more than 30 years ago in Sunderland.

Nikki Allan was lured to her brutal death in a derelict warehouse 300 yards from her family’s home in the city’s East End in 1992.

After a trial at Newcastle Crown Court, neighbour David Boyd, 55, was found guilty of murdering Nikki, who was attacked with a brick and stabbed 37 times in the chest before she was dumped – dead or dying – in the basement of the old Exchange building.

Cheers could be heard from the public gallery as family members hugged when the verdict came in.

Some shouted at Boyd, who did not visibly react.

Nikki’s sister Stacey Allan shouted “yes, thank you” as she left court.

Assistant Chief Constable Brad Howe of Northumbria Police said: “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 …

“I further hope this sends a strong message that no matter how long ago an offence takes place, we will do everything we can to ensure justice is served.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Lisa Theaker said: “Nikki Allan would have been 37 now, and who knows what her life could have been. Her future was cruelly taken by David Boyd, who today has been convicted of her murder.

“The pain and suffering that he has caused and to so many people is immeasurable. This is a huge day for Nikki’s family and I would like to thank them for their incredible strength. After 30 years, finally they have justice.”

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 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 and grainy CCTV showed a male adult being followed by a child.

Locals told police they heard piercing screams on the night Nikki was killed.

Boyd left traces of DNA on Nikki’s clothes

The local 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 and her body was found in the basement.

Her blood was discovered outside the only entry point, a boarded-up window around six feet off the ground.

Investigators believe Boyd hit Nikki outside the building, then lifted her inside to carry out his attack, during which he left traces of DNA on her clothes.

Advances in DNA techniques allowed police to re-examine case

Seven years later Boyd indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl in a park in Teesside.

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 had considered a mere witness 31 years ago.

Boyd was arrested on suspicion of murder in 2018 and charged last year after an investigation involving the DNA testing of 839 men linked to the area at the time.

Another man, George Heron, was charged with Nikki’s murder in 1993 but a jury at Leeds Crown Court found him not guilty.