Nikki Allan police satisfied no one else involved in…

Nikki Allan police satisfied no one else involved in killing of seven-year-old after David Boyd conviction

Child murderer David Boyd is the only person responsible for the death of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, police have confirmed.

Nikki was seven years old when she was savagely killed by David Boyd in 1992 who stabbed her multiple times and smashed her over the head with a brick. Her body was found in the derelict Old Exchange building the following morning.

Her family spent more than 30 years waiting for justice until advances in DNA led to Boyd's profile being found on Nikki’s clothes. Boyd, who had lived in the same block of flats in Sunderland as Nikki and her mum, has now been convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court and will be sentenced on May 23.

And police who led the investigation into Nikki's murder have stressed that no one else is responsible for her death.

Detective Chief Superintendent Lisa Theaker said: "I can confirm that the only person responsible for Nikki Allan's death was David Boyd. We have looked at over 1,000 males to satisfy ourselves that there was nobody else involved."

The force said that it carried out a complex investigation that saw police take more than 800 DNA samples from Sunderland residents, including Boyd himself, which led to police finding the killer's profile on Nikki.

"There were 1,226 males that we have had to investigate within this inquiry," Detective Chief Superintendent Theaker said.

"First of all to try and obtain DNA and assess what their involvement or otherwise was in the inquiry at the time.

"We narrowed that down to 126 males and did a deep dive into them to work out where they were at the time and to see if they were alibied and corroborate their accounts.

"We have seen hundreds of witnesses and spent hours revisiting that to ensure it couldn't be anybody else and then we got the authority to charge David Boyd."

Police also said that a number of retired officers who were involved in the initial investigation even returned to work on the case following the DNA breakthrough to help bring justice to Nikki and her family.

Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson said: "This is one of the most complex investigations we have ever had at Northumbria Police and it is a testament to thousands of painstaking work that we have achieved the result that we did which was the conviction of David Boyd."

The force said Boyd's conviction was significant for the North East and said the Sunderland community helped police bring him to justice.

"I think it is really significant for Sunderland and the whole of the North East," Detective Superintendent Theaker said.

"We took 839 DNA samples and only had one refusal out of that so the residents and the community in Sunderland massively helped in this investigation and played their part."

Police have also said they do not believe Boyd had any other victims.

During Boyd's trial, the court heard that the 55-year-old was convicted of indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl in 1999 and of breaching the peace in 1986 after approaching four children aged eight to 10, grabbing one and asking for a kiss.

Nikki's mum Sharon Henderson has said she believes her daughter's killer could have more victims who have never come forward.

However, Detective Chief Superintendent Theaker said she does not believe this is the case.

"We have looked at that and we heard in court about his previous two offences," she said.

"We have spent a considerable time looking to see whether there are any offences that have been reported that could be potentially connected to Boyd and I can say none of them have.

"We would always urge victims to come forward if they have been the victim of an offence, but in this investigation, we haven't found any."

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