David Boyd

The offence

What the court heard

He was found guilty of murder in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, on 7 October 1992. SENTENCING REMARKS 1. At 9.43 pm on 7 October 1992, Mrs Doreen Graham saw 7 year old Nikki Allan sitting on the wall between the bus shelter and the Boars Head Pub in High Street East, Hendon, Sunderland. Nikki told Mrs Graham that she was waiting for her mother. The timing of that encounter can be identified with some precision because Mrs Graham had just stepped off the number 13 bus which was known to have arrived at that bus stop at 9.43 pm, give or take a minute. 2. You must have been close by when that encounter took place. By 9.51pm (another timing which can be identified with precision) you were seen with Nikki outside the MacFish factory on the Lower High Street in Hendon. You were striding ahead whilst Nikki trotted behind you trying to keep pace with you. It would have taken about three to four minutes for you and Nikki Allan to walk from the bus stop to the MacFish factory. 3. You were leading Nikki to the grounds of the Old Exchange Building on Low Road: a derelict building surrounded by a walled area of rough scrubland. You took Nikki into that rough ground where you sexually assaulted her, or at least attempted to do so. Nikki was heard screaming at around 10pm by Mrs Osborne who was in her flat overlooking High Street East. You struck Nikki across the face causing her lip to bleed. You did this to shut her up. Before or after this, there must have been some sort of struggle between you as Nikki's anorak came off and she lost both of her shoes. 4. From the moment of her screaming, Nikki's fate was sealed. You decided to kill her to silence her and prevent her from telling anyone that you had sexually assaulted her, or had attempted to do so. You hoisted Nikki up the six or so feet necessary to reach the window and pushed her through a gap in the boarding into the derelict Old Exchange Building. 5. Inside, the building was pitch black. The windows were boarded up, save for the one missing board leaving a gap through which Nikki had been pushed but in any event it was late in the evening of an October night. Once inside, Nikki must have been petrified. It would not have taken the seven year old long to appreciate that she was trapped in that cold and dark building and that you were coming through the window to get her. The forensic scientist told the jury that the site of the fatal assault was as far away from the window as Nikki could have got on the ground…

Around this case

• Newcastle Crown Court
• Prosecuted by CPS North East