Man charged with murdering seven-year-old Nikki Allan in 1992
Man charged with murdering seven-year-old Nikki Allan in 1992: Suspect, 54, appears in court 30 years after girl went missing from her grandparents’ home before being found stabbed to death inside abandoned building
Man, 54, charged with murdering seven-year-old Nikki Allan in 1992Nikki was killed after leaving her grandparents’ home in Sunderland She was found brutally stabbed to death 37 times and beaten with a brick
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A man has been charged with the murder of Nikki Allan, the seven-year-old who was found dead in a derelict building 30 years ago.
Nikki was killed after walking home from her grandparents’ home in the Wear Garth area of Sunderland in October 1992, in what became one of Britain’s most notorious unsolved child murders.
She was found brutally stabbed to death 37 times and beaten with a brick, and her shoes were discovered outside the Old Exchange building a few hundred yards away the next morning.
Her alleged murderer David Thomas Boyd, 54, is due at Newcastle Crown Court tomorrow.
Nikki Allan, who was found dead on October 8, 1992
The family of Nikki are pictured during the funeral of the youngster in 1992
Boyd, of Norton near Stockton, appeared before South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court earlier and was remanded in custody.
Prosecutor Niamh Reading told the hearing: ‘Because of the nature of this offence, it can only be heard at the crown court.’
In 1993, George Heron stood trial for Nikki’s murder, but was cleared by a jury at Leeds Crown Court.
Then in 2014, Sunderland serial killer Steven Grieveson was arrested and questioned on suspicion of Nikki’s murder. But he was released without charge and told he would face no action.
In April 2018, Northumbria Police arrested a former neighbour of Nikki’s grandfather in Wear Garth on suspicion of her murder. His flat in Thornaby, Stockton on Tees, was searched and items taken for examination as police announced he was a suspect in Nikki’s case.
Nikki’s body was found in the derelict Exchange building after her shoes were spotted outside. Above, floral tributes at the scene in 1992
Crimestoppers offered a reward of up to £10,000 for anyone with information which leads to the conviction of Nikki’s killer.
Assistant Chief Constable David Felton, of Northumbria Police, said: ‘This is an extremely tragic case and our thoughts very much continue to be with the family and friends of Nikki Allan.
‘A significant investigation has been ongoing ever since Nikki’s death 30 years ago. As with any unsolved cases of this nature, they are never closed.
‘Our dedicated teams constantly review the evidence and follow any new investigative leads that may come to light.
‘I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Nikki’s family for their patience and cooperation and we will continue to offer them any support they may need.’
