David Boyd ‘targeted Nikki Allan to sexually abuse her then silence her’ - judge sets out full horrors Sunderland girl endured

Mrs Justice Lambert has now sentenced Boyd, who was 25 at the time of the murder, to life behind bars and said he must serve a minimum term of 29 yearsbefore he can apply for parole.

The judge said the terror Nikki must have felt as she tried to flee her killer as he stalked her through the abandoned building was “unimaginable” and her killing was “vicious and brutal”.

Justice Lambert told Boyd: “As the years passed by and you got on with your life you must have thought, no doubt, that you had got away with it.

“However, the science of DNA analysis was advancing and new developments lead police to identify your DNA on the material of her T-Shirt and leggings.”

The judge said she was satisfied Boyd targeted Nikki so he could sexually abuse her and then killed her to silence her.

Justice Lambert told him: “You lured Nikki Allan away from the relative safety of the Garths by telling lies.

“Only you know what you said to her to cause her to leave the Garths with you shortly before 10pm on October 7, 1992.

“Somehow you tricked her into going with you, in the opposite direction of her home on a cold and dark night.

“You didn’t use force. A witness saw you both on the way to the Old Exchange, you leading the way and Nikki skipping along after you.

“The impression of the witness was you were father and daughter. You didnt’ need to use force, Nikki knew you and trusted you.

“The jury heard Nikki was shy and clingy to her mother, not a child to go with a stranger but you knew Nikki’s family and they knew you.

“Your purpose in luring Nikki away to the Old Exchange building was sexual. You intended to sexually assault Nikki either in the grounds of the Old Exchangebuilding or in the building itself.

“You were 25, Nikki was seven, there could be no benign reason for you to target Nikki to go with you to the isolated and derelict building.

“Using common sense, there could be no other reason for you luring her away as you did for anything other than a sexual reason.”

The judge added: “Nikki did not submit to the sexual assault or attempted sexual assault. She must have resisted and during the struggle her anorak andshoes came off.

“She screamed and you struck her to silence her.

“You murdered her, intending to kill her, in order that she would not tell anyone what you had done or tried to do.

“You pushed her into the derelict building then went inside after her.

“You struck her with a brick at least twice, fracturing her skull then stabbed her chest with a knife you had taken with you.”

The judge told Boyd: “You caused Nikki great mental suffering in the minutes before her loss of consciousness.

“After you pushed her into the Old Exchange she must have quickly known you were coming after her to hurt her and there was nowhere for her to hide.

“She was in a cold, pitch black building. Her terror as to what was to befall her as you stalked her through that building is unimaginable.”

The judge said the dark and derelict building was a place where Nikki’s body would be difficult to find and told Boyd: “You hoped that Nikki would not bediscovered.

“You didn’t take into account the extent of the concern her disappearance provoked in the tight knit community.

“A large number of Nikki’s family and neighbours set about searching for her.

“Nikki’s body was discovered in the basement of the Exchange Building only the next morning by a local teenager.”

The judge spoke of how Nikki was loved by her mother and family and has “left a hole” in their lives and the community.

Justice Lamber told Boyd the jail term imposed today could mean he will die in prison.

The judge told the court Boyd would have been given a longer jail term ifhehad been sentenced under today’s guidelines.Mrs Justice Lambert said David Boyd must serve at least 29 years before hecanapply for parole.

She said she would have given him a minimum tariff of 37 years under today’s sentencing regime but was restricted to the guidelines that would have been in force at the time of the crime 31 years ago.