Nikki Allan murder trial: Sunderland woman who helped police draw sketch of suspect gives evidence

Neighbour David Boyd, who was 25 at the time, took the seven-year-old to the Old Exchange Building in Sunderland, where he beat her with a brick and shattered her skull before stabbing her multiple times, it is claimed.

Prosecutors believe Nikki "skipped to her death" as she was lured away from the block of flats where she lived close to the River Wear late in the evening on October 7, 1992.

She was found dead the following day inside the disused building.

Jurors had previously been shown a sketch of the man seen with Nikki on the night she was killed, which they were told in court bared a "striking resemblance" to an image provided of Boyd in his 20s.

The photograph, which was taken at Christmas time in the 1990s, was seen by the jury after it was released by Boyd's mother.

Newcastle Crown Court on April 25, 2023, heard evidence from Margaret Hodgson, who had driven to a nearby factory to collect her mother from work on the night Nikki was last seen.

In a pre-written statement, Ms Hodgson said her attention was attracted to the man walking with the girl as they approached from some dock gates.

She said: "They were walking together but not hand-in-hand. At intervals, the little girl would drop behind and then skip to catch the man up.

"They appeared to be father and daughter. The girl seemed to be walking freely.

"Every so often the man would turn around to see if the girl was there. Nothing appeared untoward.

"I did comment to my niece it was late for a girl so young to be out. They walked past the car and they disappeared."

Ms Hodgson described the man as 5"8 or 5"7 who looked about 27 or 28-years-of-age.

She added: "He had dark coloured hair which was in a skin head which was starting to grow out.

"He wore a white shirt with a denim jacket. He gave the impression with the way he was dressed that he had been out for the evening."

Jurors heard the girl was described as six or seven and had hair which came down to her shoulders.The court heard Ms Hodgson then attended the police station a few days later, to help a detective sergeant produce two sketches of the man she saw.

The court also heard evidence from Ms Hodgson's niece, who was 13 at the time and was in the car waiting to collect her grandmother from work.

She said: "Margaret said look at that little bairn out at this time of night.

"I looked to my right and I saw a man with a very small girl.

"She appeared to be dropping behind the man and then skipping to keep up.

"As they walked the man kept turning his head which gave me the impression he was looking at her and they were together.

"The girl certainly appeared to be quite happy to be there.

"The two persons were in my view for about ten seconds or about 30 feet.

"They then disappeared from my view behind the wall."

Prosecutors also played grainy CCTV footage which they claim is of Nikki and her killer, as they walked down High Street East close to the Garths where she lived.

A short statement was also read by PC Andrew Richardson, who said the walk from where Nikki was last seen to the place her body was found at the Old Exchange building took just over four-and-a-half minutes.

Boyd, 55, of Chesterton Court, Norton, Stockton, Teesside, denies murder.The trial continues.