UK - Nikki Allan, 7, brutally murdered, Sunderland, 7 Oct 1992 *arrest in 2014*

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Nikki Allan murder trial jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

David Boyd denies murdering schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in Sunderland in October 1992

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

 

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10:28PETER TENNICK

Jury sworn in​

The case is about to start after the jury was sworn in

10:36KALI LINDSAY

Trial to begin soon​

David Boyd is alleged to have killed the schoolgirl, whose body was found in the abandoned Old Exchange Building in Sunderland.

10:37KALI LINDSAY

Denies charges​

Boyd, 55, who has also been known as Smith and/or Bell, of Chesterton Court, Norton, Stockton, denies murdering Nikki on October 7 1992.

10:46KALI LINDSAY

Case being opened to jurors​

Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, is opening the case to jurors.
He said: “Over thirty years ago, on the night of the 7th October 1992, a little girl called Nikki Allan was lured away from the block of flats in which she lived and down towards the River Wear in Sunderland.
“The man who led her away took her into an area of wasteland behind a disused building.
There he struck her at least one blow that caused her to bleed. He then forced her through an opening in a boarded up window into the derelict building. It was the only point of access to that building and this man plainly knew that building well and knew exactly where and how to get into it.”

10:47KALI LINDSAY

'Stabbed her repeatedly through her chest'​

“Inside the building the man who took her there beat Nikki Allan about the head with a brick. He shattered her skull.
"He then used a knife to stab her repeatedly through her chest, the knife being driven in and out of her body many times through the same hole.
"Into her heart, into her lungs, making sure of the job of killing her.”

10:49KALI LINDSAY

Found by locals 'desperately' searching​

“He lifted and dragged her downstairs into the blackness of the basement, and no doubt knowing his way around, navigated the series of rooms, dragging her with him, and dumping her body in the corner of an end room, where he must have hoped she would remain undetected, but where in fact she would be found the next morning by two of the many local residents who were desperately searching for her. Nikki Allan was seven years old.”

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

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10:49KALI LINDSAY

Man found not guilty of murder in previous trial​

“In 1993 a trial took place in the Crown Court at Leeds. The man accused of the murder of Nikki Allan was called George Heron. The jury found him not guilty of murder.
"They were right to do so. George Heron was not the killer of Nikki Allan. The killer of Nikki Allan was David Boyd, the man sitting in the dock at the back of this Court.”

10:50KALI LINDSAY

False alibi​

Mr Wright continues: “David Boyd was known in 1992 as David Smith or David Bell. He was 25 years old. He lived close to Nikki in the same block of flats at Wear Garth in Sunderland.
He knew the building in which she was murdered very well and how to get into it.
He constructed a false alibi in 1992, when he benefited from the attention of the police being wrongly focused on an innocent man. He even provided a statement for use in the original trial.”

10:51KALI LINDSAY

Last man to see her alive​

“He was, by his own admission, the last man to see her alive that night having her in his sight until the moments before she was lured away.
"He was by his own admission out of his flat alone at the time that she went missing. He closely resembles the description of the man who killed Nikki. Modern scientific testing has revealed his DNA on her clothing in multiple areas.
"The case against David Boyd is a circumstantial one but it is, we will invite you to conclude, a compelling one, a case that will enable you to come to the sure and safe conclusion that he is guilty of her murder.”

10:51KALI LINDSAY

No evidence of abduction​

The prosecutor tells jurors: “The evidence suggests Nikki was not abducted. She was not bundled into a car but rather that she was lured away from Wear Garth by her killer.”

10:53KALI LINDSAY

Last sighting​

“The last sighting of Nikki was made by a woman who had travelled to a nearby factory to collect her mother from work. Shortly before ten that evening, she saw a man walking past the factory with a young girl.
“The little girl would occasionally drop behind and would then skip to catch up. This was Nikki Allan. She was with her killer and she was unwittingly skipping to her death.”

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

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10:54KALI LINDSAY

'Comfortable in the company of her killer'​

“Given that description, her young age, the time of night, and the fact that she would have been aware that she was walking for some distance away from her home, and away from a residential area, you may sensibly conclude that she was at the least comfortable in the company of her killer and that he was not a stranger to her.”

10:55KALI LINDSAY

Deliberately lead to disused Old Exchange Building​

“The killer led her quite deliberately into the grounds of the disused Old Exchange Building. Even those grounds were not easy to access because they were surrounded by a wall. Thereafter he took her into a derelict building that had just one point of entry that was difficult to access.
“He then moved through that building in the darkness with purpose and without difficulty. You may conclude that the killer was intimately familiar with the location. He was a local man, but more than that a local man who knew his way around that particular derelict building.”

10:58KALI LINDSAY

No doubt killer was a man​

“There is no doubt that the killer was a man. That he was white. That he was in his twenties.
"We know that because you will hear agreed evidence from a witness who saw him walking towards the derelict building with Nikki just minutes before he killed her.”

10:59KALI LINDSAY

'Lured away to her death'​

“The time and location in which she had encountered her killer before she was lured away to her death can be narrowed to a close window.
"She was last seen before she met her killer at about 21:43 outside a public house opposite the block of flats in which she lived called the Boar’s Head. That public house is no more than five minutes’ walk away from the Old Exchange Building.”

11:05KALI LINDSAY

'CCTV captured killer walking ahead'​

“The timing of the murder itself is not in any doubt. The killer was seen with Nikki just before 10 p.m. by the witness I have previously mentioned.
"The timing is beyond question not least because grainy footage from a nearby CCTV camera captured the killer walking ahead of Nikki just seconds before they would have reached the grounds of the Old Exchange Building. Other evidence from witnesses who heard screams fix the time of the killing at about 10pm"

11:06KALI LINDSAY

Close contact with victim​

“The killer of Nikki Allan would have come into close contact with her. Although his contact during the killing itself could have been limited he would have had to lift her through the window opening into the building.
“Inside he appears to have carried her at some point after he attacked her before then dragging her body down into the basement to conceal it.”

11:09KALI LINDSAY

'Shallow pool' to identify man responsible for killing​

Mr Wright continues: “If you accept those observations as being well founded and common sense conclusions you can draw from the evidence then you can see that there is a relatively shallow pool of people from which to identify the man responsible for this killing.
"Her killer was a local white man in his twenties. He was out and about in the area of Wear Garth and the Boars Head at about 21:45.
“He must have seen Nikki at or shortly before that time in order to target her. He was known to Nikki so that she would have gone with him. He must have known this area of Hendon in Sunderland very well.
“More than that he was also intimately familiar with the Old Exchange Building. He knew not only how and where to access that building but was familiar with the interior layout. He had been there and into that building before.”

11:11KALI LINDSAY

'Knew her had killed her'​

“He knew that he had killed her at about ten that evening.
"He had also come into close contact with her, if not at the moment he was crushing her skull with a brick and stabbing her, then certainly when he had lifted her into the building and then carried her for a time within it.”

11:17KALI LINDSAY

Defendant lived near victim's grandparents​

“Where then does David Boyd fit into those common sense inferences that you can draw from the evidence? Firstly, he lived in Wear Garth on the same floor as Nikki’s grandparents.
"He was well known to Nikki’s family and to Nikki. His girlfriend at the time was a regular babysitter for Nikki Allan.

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

11:18KALI LINDSAY

Defendant knew how to access building​

“Secondly, David Boyd knew the local area very well and more significantly he knew the Old Exchange Building. He was a regular visitor to that building and knew how to access it, using the same window that the killer used when he took a 12 year old boy there in the dark just a few days before the murder to look for pigeons.
“David Boyd knew the layout very well and was still able to describe it when interviewed nearly thirty years later.”

11:22KALI LINDSAY

Last man who saw her alive​

“Third, David Boyd was 25 as of the 7th October 1992. He was of the same age and description of the killer. You will see in a few moments that in fact he bore a striking resemblance to the killer.
“Fourth, David Boyd told the police that he saw Nikki on the night of the 7th October at around the time that she was lured away to her death. By his own account he was the last man to describe seeing her alive.”

11:27KALI LINDSAY

Defendant 'deliberately' lied about whereabouts​

“Fifth, we will invite you to conclude that he quite deliberately lied about where he was at 10pm that night. We suggest that this was a deliberate lie to alibi himself for the time of the killing, a time that only the killer could have appreciated was significant when David Boyd gave his account to the police in 1992.”

11:30KALI LINDSAY

DNA profile matching defendant's found on victim's clothes​

“Sixth, a DNA profile matching that of David Boyd has been detected at multiple locations on the clothing of Nikki Allan. Locations that are all consistent with the areas that her killer would have come into contact with. We will invite you to conclude that he has provided no sensible explanation for those findings that withstands common sense scrutiny.”

11:32KALI LINDSAY

Prosecution continues​

Mr Wright continues: “In 1992 the police inquiry into the murder of this child identified George Heron as a suspect and built a case around him.
"In contrast, in this recent re-investigation of the case the police have gone to significant lengths to investigate all identifiable potential suspects without making any assumptions.
“That process has identified just one man who knew this child, knew the murder scene intimately, saw her just before she was lured away, lied about where he was at the time of the killing, who matches the description of the killer, and whose DNA profile matches a DNA profile found at multiple sites on her clothing.”

11:49KALI LINDSAY

No requirement to prove motive​

“We make just one final general observation before we turn together to examine the evidence in more detail. Motive.
"There is no requirement upon the Prosecution to prove a motive in any case of murder. Only the killer knows why he did what he did to Nikki.
"But whatever his motivation may have been, you may conclude that this person did not lure a seven year old girl away to a derelict building at night for a benign reason.
“It may well be in the grounds of that derelict building that caused Nikki Allan to scream and for the killer to assault her.
“One distinct possibility is that her brutal death was not what had been intended at the outset but was instead brought about by her ability to identify the person who had taken her there and had hurt her outside the building.”

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

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11:50KALI LINDSAY

Background on victim​

Mr Wright tells jurors: “Nikki Allan, who was also known as Nikki Prest because that was her mother’s family name, was seven years old at the time of her murder.
“The family home was a ground floor flat situated at 61 Wear Garth, Hendon in Sunderland that she shared with her mother Sharon, her sister Stacey and two half siblings Naomi and Zara whose father was her stepfather John Waldron. Her own father was David Allan whose relationship with Sharon Prest had ended some years before 1992.”

11:55KALI LINDSAY

Further background on victim​

“Many members of Nikki’s extended family also lived in what was known locally as ‘The Garths’ at other flats. Her grandparents lived at number 42 Wear Garth on the same floor as the defendant David Boyd.
"Her aunty Sandra Prest, who was the partner of a man called Terry Clarke and was also known as Dolly Clarke, lived with Terry Clarke and their son at number 14 Wear Garth also situated on the same floor of the complex.”

11:56KALI LINDSAY

Background on defendant​

Mr Wright is now giving some background information about Boyd.
He said: “David Boyd was born on 1st June 1967 and therefore on 7th October 1992 he was 25 years of age. He was not a native of Sunderland and had no family in the Sunderland area.This is a point of significance when we come to consider the DNA profiling technique deployed in this case.
“As of the 7th October David Boyd was living at 38 Wear Garth, a flat situated on the second floor of the building on the same landing as Nikki Allan’s grandparents.”

11:59KALI LINDSAY

Night of the alleged murder​

Moving to the night of the alleged murder, the prosecutor said: “On the 7th October 1992 the sun set at 18:26. Throughout the late afternoon and into the evening, a number of witnesses, several of them then children, who knew Nikki well saw her playing in and around ‘The Garths’.
"It was not unusual for local children to play outside unsupervised even when it was dark and might reasonably be considered too late for them to be left alone outside”

12:00KALI LINDSAY

Last sighting of Nikki​

“Gemma Newall was a schoolgirl who had known Nikki throughout her life. She saw her at various times during the evening of the 7th October playing, often alone, in the Garths. She last saw Nikki just after 21:00 sitting alone by some large rocks in the Garths. By 21:30, although she could see two other children outside, Nikki was not present."

12:01KALI LINDSAY

Witnesses recall seeing group of children​

“A number of other witnesses provide similar accounts.
Those accounts place Nikki in the Garths, in the company of a number of other children who were playing and chalking until about 21:30.
One of the children that Nikki was playing with that night was a young boy called Robert Hall (known as Bobby).
A number of witnesses recall the group moving outside the Garths to the area of a Public House called the Boars Head by about 21:30.”

12:01KALI LINDSAY

Jurors shown map of area​

Mr Wright is showing jurors maps and photographs of the area with which they are concerned.

12:01KALI LINDSAY

Court taking break​

The court is now taking a half hour break.

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

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12:31KALI LINDSAY

Court returns​

Mr Wright says Doreen Graham was a resident of the Garths and also knew Nikki Allan well.
On the 7th October she was returning home from work by bus, which would have dropped her at a stop outside the Boars Head Public House around 9:43pm.
He said: “On alighting the bus Mrs Graham spoke to Nikki who was wearing black leggings and a green top. She recalls that the child was not wearing a coat at that time and was shivering. She told the witness that she was outside the Public House waiting for her mam.
“It must have been shortly after this sighting by Doreen Graham that the killer of Nikki Allan persuaded her by some means to follow him away from the relative safety of the ‘The Garths’ and down towards the river and the rear of the derelict Old Exchange Building.”

12:31KALI LINDSAY

Next sighting of victim​

The prosecutor adds: “The next timed and reliable sighting of Nikki Allan was made by a lady called Margaret Hodgson who had driven to a local factory operated by a company called MacFish to collect her own mother from work at the end of her shift.
“Margaret Hodgson was able to identify with precision the time of the sighting of Nikki and her killer that she related to the police. What I am about to describe occurred at 21:51 on the 7th October 1992.

12:32KALI LINDSAY

Man walking past factory​

“The witness saw a man walking past the factory with a young girl in his company. The two had the appearance of being father and daughter and the young girl would drop behind and then skip to catch up.
“She was able to describe the man as being, in her opinion, about 27 years of age, perhaps 5’ 7” tall, with a growing out skinhead haircut and she thought he was clean shaven. She also believed that he was wearing a white shirt and jeans.
“Margaret Hodgson described the man and the little girl as walking from right to left across the factory gates, a direction that would have taken them in the general direction of the Exchange Building.”

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

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12:43KALI LINDSAY

Witness assisted police artist​

On the 11th October 1992, four days after the killing, Mrs Hodgson attended at a local police station and assisted a police artist to produce a sketch of the man that she had seen on the 7th October.
The artist produced two drawings, one of the face of the man she had seen and a further sketch also depicting his clothing.
The drawings are shown in court, along with an image of Boyd as a younger man.
Mr Wright said: “You may conclude that the man she drew had a distinctive appearance. The police have been able to identify some images of David Boyd from the late 1980’s and one from the early 1990’s. We invite you to conclude that at or about the time of the murder of Nikki Allan, the younger David Boyd bore a striking resemblance to the man depicted by the police artist on the instructions of Margaret Hodgson.”

12:44KALI LINDSAY

'Final tragic glimpse of Nikki'​

Mr Wright said: “The final tragic glimpse of Nikki before her murder was captured by a CCTV camera positioned on a building known as the Roseline bonded warehouse situated on the route between the MacFish factory and the rear of the Old Exchange Building.

12:45KALI LINDSAY

Footage caught on CCTV​

”The footage is of an extremely poor quality.
"However, it undoubtedly records Nikki’s killer walking towards the Exchange building with Nikki following along a short distance behind him at 21:57.
"That last sighting of Nikki Allan was no more than a one minute walk to the rear of the Exchange building where she would be attacked.”

12:45KALI LINDSAY

CCTV shown to jurors​

The clip is played to the court.

12:51KALI LINDSAY

Court hears from another witness​

The court hears a woman called Patricia Irwin had been working at the MacFish factory.
She left work at 21:53 and set off with some work colleagues to walk to a nearby bus stop. Her short journey took her past the derelict Exchange building.

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

12:55KALI LINDSAY

'Sound unnerved her'​

Mr Wright said: “As she got close to the building, she heard a sound that she likened to hearing a piece of wood being broken. She heard two sounds of that sort a second or so apart.
“As she continued to walk, she heard a sound coming from within the building that she thought was like a cat wailing or wind howling through the building. It was a sound that unnerved her and caused her to mention it to her friends.”

13:00KALI LINDSAY

'Piercing scream' heard​

The court hears Carol Osborne lived in another block of flats called River Garth.
She was at home during the evening of the 7th October. Her flat overlooked the High Street and the Exchange Building.
Mr Wright said: “At about 22:00 she heard a short lived but piercing scream from a girl. She recalls a second similar scream following a couple of minutes after the first.”

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

I can only think he had a very good alibi. Why has it taken them so long?

I'm not saying he must be guilty but it seems there is so much evidence that was deemed irrelevant initially.

 

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13:13KALI LINDSAY

Locals searched for missing child​

Mr Wright continues: “It became apparent to her family that Nikki was missing sometime after 22:00 on the 7th October. The alarm having been raised many local people spent the evening scouring the area looking for the child. These searches were to no avail.”

13:16KALI LINDSAY

Building searched without finding body​

“The next morning, 8th October 1992, John Pennock and his wife decided to search in the area of the Exchange building shortly after 09:00.
As Mr Pennock looked over the boundary wall, he saw Nikki Allan’s purple coat in the grounds of the building.
"Next to the coat was a child’s red kicker shoe. He climbed over the wall and then saw a second child’s shoe on the ground.
“He initially left the coat and shoes where they were and reported the find to others at the Garths. He returned to the building and the coat and shoes were picked up and handed to an officer who was on scene guard duty at the home of Nikki Allan.
"He returned to the building for a third time with a young lad called Andrew Maven, 16 at the time, and the two entered through an insecure window and made a cursory search. They did not enter the basement and left the building without making a significant discovery.”

13:17KALI LINDSAY

Victim's body found in basement​

Mr Wright tells jurors: “Andrew Maven returned to the Garths and went to Nikki’s home. The shoes and coat had been confirmed as belonging to Nikki and he returned to the Exchange building with his father and a torch.
“The two searched the building more thoroughly and importantly ventured down into the basement where they found the body of Nikki Allan. They fled the building in distress and raised the alarm.”

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

13:24KALI LINDSAY

Prosecution continues​

“There may be some confusion as to the precise sequence in which the shoes and coat were found and exactly where they were.
"The only real significance of this evidence is that for some reason Nikki’s coat had been removed before she entered the building and her shoes had come off her feet. Read with the evidence of the scene that I am about to describe these findings do at the very least establish that something sinister happened to Nikki in the grounds of the building and before she was put inside.”

13:25KALI LINDSAY

Images and video taken​

“Extensive images of the interior of the Exchange building were taken by scenes of crime officers prior to and after the removal of Nikki’s body.
"A video was also taken and I will play that for you in a few moments. The body of Nikki is still present at the end of the video but we have pixelated it out so as not to cause you any unnecessary distress.”
“The bloodied brick is there and there are blood stains on the floor.
“You can see drag marks on the floor.”

13:25KALI LINDSAY

Jurors watch video from inside building​

The video from inside the building is played to the court.
It shows blood drips on the outside of the building, the only entrance point to which was 6ft 2 high, meaning Nikki would have had to be physically manipulated into it.
The bloodied brick which Boyd is accused of “bludgeoning” Nikki with his visible in one of the rooms.
Blood is also visible on stairs down to the basement, which Mr Wright says is from Nikki being dragged down them.
The footage also shows drag marks on the floor and they lead up to Nikki’s body.

13:26KALI LINDSAY

Forensic scientist attended scene​

A forensic scientist Hilary Parkinson attended the scene and she provides an overview of the likely sequence of events.
In her opinion Nikki was injured and bleeding when she entered the building; the main assault was in the ground floor room and at some point, her upper body had been upright after she sustained heavily bleeding injury; Nikki was hit with the brick on more than one occasion whilst already bleeding and laying on the floor; Nikki was dragged from the ground floor room into the basement being held by her legs and ankles; however, the absence of blood smears on the parts of the floor of the ground floor room suggests that she may have been carried in that room to the stairs before being dragged down them.

13:27KALI LINDSAY

Lunch break​

The case is adjourned for lunch until 2pm.

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

14:19KALI LINDSAY

Trial resumes​

The case is back under way and Mr Wright is continuing his opening address to jurors.

14:19KALI LINDSAY

'Blunt force trauma to head'​

He said: “The post mortem findings can be summarised as evidence of blunt force trauma to the head and multiple stab wounds to the torso.
"The injuries would be consistent with a scenario in which Nikki was punched outside the building causing a bleeding injury. She was thereafter struck multiple blows to the head with the brick found on the ground floor of the building. These blows would have likely rendered her unconscious. They were certainly savage blows that shattered her skull."

14:20KALI LINDSAY

Victim stabbed 37 times​

“After she had sustained blunt force trauma, she was stabbed a total of 37 times with many of the stab wounds causing damage to important organs and blood vessels.”

14:21KALI LINDSAY

Victim dragged into basement by feet and ankles​

“In combination the head injuries and the stab wounds amounted to a complex of injuries that were inevitably fatal. She was dragged dead or dying by the feet and ankles into the basement of the building to the point where her body was discovered.”

14:23KALI LINDSAY

Scientific evidence heard​

Turning to scientific evidence, Mr Wright said: “On the 4th October 2017 an evidential DNA sample was obtained from the defendant when he was visited at his home address during the re-investigation of the murder.

14:27KALI LINDSAY

'More sensitive tests now available'​

“Before I explain the findings, it is necessary to say a little more about the scientific techniques utilised in this case.
"It is also helpful to consider how much has changed in terms of the scientific avenues available to the Police in 2023 as compared to those available in 1992.
"In 1992 the use of DNA profiling in criminal cases was extremely limited. The science was in its infancy and in the intervening thirty years the use of DNA evidence in criminal cases has become almost routine.
"More importantly, much more sensitive tests are now available that detect DNA in much smaller quantities.
"Another significant development has been the development of Y DNA profiling that is the technique predominantly relevant to this case.”

14:35KALI LINDSAY

Jurors shown mannequin​

Jurors are shown a mannequin dressed in the clothes Nikki was wearing in order to demonstrate how she was put into the building and where DNA was found on her. The mannequin is 125cm tall and Nikki was 122cm.

14:36KALI LINDSAY

DNA matching Boyd's found on cycling shorts​

Mr Wright said: “On the right hip of the waistband a mixed Y profile from at least three males.
"A major DNA profile within the mixture matches the Y DNA profile of David Boyd.
"The DNA profile of Boyd and the major contributor occurs in approximately 1 in 28,000 unrelated males. Putting this in simple language this is the Y DNA profile matching that of David Boyd present on the cycling shorts of Nikki Allan.”

14:37KALI LINDSAY

Jurors hear further DNA evidence​

“The front neck collar of the T-Shirt yielded an almost complete Y-STR profile of a male and that profile matched that of Boyd.
"This profile would similarly occur in 1 in 28,000 unrelated males. So here again the Y DNA profile matching that of David Boyd on the neck area of Nikki’s T-Shirt.”

14:38KALI LINDSAY

DNA evidence continues​

“In an area described as the ‘outside front and back bottom right’ a mixed Y profile was recovered.
"Boyd’s Y profile was represented in the mixture to the extent that he may be a contributor."

14:39KALI LINDSAY

DNA on sleeve​

“In an area described as the ‘front and back underside right sleeve’ an incomplete mixed Y profile in which Boyd could be considered the major contributor. The components present here would occur in approximately 1 in 5,100 individuals. Not his full profile in this area but nonetheless entirely consistent with it.”

14:47KALI LINDSAY

DNA found under coat​

Mr Wright continues: “This is not the finding of his profile on her coat. Rather it is the finding of his profile on her clothing that was under the coat until she entered the grounds of the Old Exchange Building. The clothing that her killer would have inevitably had to handle when forcing her into the building, picking her up inside and manhandling her."

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

14:53KALI LINDSAY

'Important not to leap to conclusions'​

“It is very important not to leap to conclusions from these DNA findings.
"There are a number of factors that must be considered. First, although this is the Y DNA profile of David Boyd could it be in fact from another male line relative of his? Or, indeed, from another, unrelated, male?"

14:54KALI LINDSAY

DNA because he was killer or innocent transfer?​

“Second, how has the DNA come to be in these locations? Because he was her killer or by some innocent mechanism of transfer?

14:54KALI LINDSAY

Jurors continue to hear DNA evidence​

“Third, over thirty years later and in a case where precautions in 1992 may not have been as strict as precautions in 2023, is it possible that the clothing has innocently been contaminated with his DNA?"

14:55KALI LINDSAY

DNA not only evidence in case​

“We will look at each of these scenarios in some depth during the trial. At this stage I can do no more than summarise the arguments about each.
However, you will no doubt appreciate that the DNA is not the only evidence in this case.
You may consider that as a jury you will need to weigh this evidence in the light of all of the strands of the circumstantial case that we present.
Essentially asking yourselves, in the light of everything about Mr Boyd that it is relevant for you to know; what are the chances that the DNA of this man is seen consistently across two items of clothing in four sites, where he is a dead ringer for the artists impression, where he matches the age and description of the killer, where he knew this child well, where he knew the site of her murder well, where he has been inside that building on many occasions just as the killer must have been, where he saw her that very night just before she was taken, that he lied about where he was at the very time of the killing?
What are the chances that his DNA is represented in all of these places by some random freak act of contamination rather than because he was the man who murdered this little girl?

14:56KALI LINDSAY

Three scenarios​

“Let’s look at those three scenarios then.
"Firstly, could it be some other male line relative of David Boyd that has managed to get his DNA onto the clothing a Nikki Allan on the very night that she was murdered?
"The police have investigated the Boyd family tree.
"He is not from Sunderland and neither are his family. He has no identified male line relatives living anywhere nearby and certainly not in Wear Garth.
"You may think that you can comfortably reject the notion that some other unknown relative swept in undetected on the 7th October 1992, murdered a child that he knew and had seen moments before she went missing and left leaving no other evidence behind.”

14:57KALI LINDSAY

DNA screening performed​

“In addition, a massive DNA screening exercise has been performed by the police re-investigating this case.
"It is of course not possible to exclude every male person who may theoretically have been in the area of the Garths on the night of the killing.
"However, of the hundreds tested, no DNA profile other than that of Boyd, matches the male DNA profile obtained from the T-Shirt and cycle shorts.
"No other credible candidate for the murder, who fits the wider criteria that must apply to the offender has been identified.”

14:58KALI LINDSAY

Second scenario​

“What then of the second scenario? An innocent mechanism of transfer of his DNA onto Nikki’s clothing worn underneath her coat. Well, we will invite you to conclude that an explanation would be required from the defendant as to how a man who had no admitted direct contact with the deceased at any time proximate to her disappearance and murder had contaminated multiple sites on her clothing with his DNA.
"It is significant that Margaret Hodgson, who observed Nikki from the MacFish compound described her as wearing her coat when she passed by with her killer.
"She was wearing the coat in the grounds of the Old Exchange Building because it was found there the next morning.
"The findings however are that Boyd’s DNA profile was found at four sites across two items of clothing that were under her coat.
"How did it get there? We will invite you to conclude that no sensible scenario of innocent transfer exists to explain those findings.”

14:58KALI LINDSAY

Third scenario​

“What then of the third scenario?
"That there has been some contamination of these exhibits. Firstly, that would of course require an innocent source of the DNA of David Boyd to have been available and introduced to them at some point.
"There is no evidence of any innocent contamination and so the scenario is inevitably speculative.
"Might it be suggested that his DNA was in some way left on an exposed window sill when he entered that derelict building four days earlier and then found itself transported to four separate areas of her clothing?

14:59KALI LINDSAY

Post offence contact excluded​

“We are able to exclude any post offence contact with David Boyd, and also trace the exhibits from their recovery at post mortem examination to the present day."

15:00KALI LINDSAY

Jurors told 'obvious explanation is the correct one'​

“In any of these theoretical scenarios of innocent contamination you may think it an incredible coincidence that the clothing of this child would be contaminated with DNA matching the profile of a man who just happened to have seen Nikki that night at the right time, who was the last man in fact to see her alive, who matched the description of her killer, who knew the building in which she was killed very well and who lied about his whereabouts that night.
"You will have to consider ultimately whether we are descending into speculative theories or rather whether, as is often the case, the obvious explanation is the correct one.
"His DNA is in these areas in the context of all of the other evidence because he is guilty of murder.”

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

15:10KALI LINDSAY

Body worn footage shown to jurors​

Jurors are played body worn footage of Boyd being arrested on April 17 2018.
He answers the door wearing jeans and no top and carrying a dog.

15:11KALI LINDSAY

Comments made on arrest​

Mr Wright said: “He made comments on arrest that you may think were significant.
"In particular he was recorded as saying “I haven’t got any involvement in it”, but then asking, “what evidence have you got anyway”.

15:12KALI LINDSAY

Jurors to consider reaction​

“You will have to consider whether or not the reaction of man confronted with an historic allegation of murder of which he has no knowledge. Or rather, whether it was someone who had committed that murder and assumed for many years that he had got away with it wondering what evidence the police may have gathered against him.

15:12KALI LINDSAY

Boyd denied anything to do with murder​

When interviewed by police, Boyd denied having anything to do with Nikki’s murder.

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

15:21KALI LINDSAY

DNA on victim from spitting over veranda​

He suggested his DNA may have got on her by him spitting over the edge of his veranda, suggesting it could have got under her arms by her wiping her hands.

15:22KALI LINDSAY

'Important features' from police interviews​

Mr Wright said of Boyd’s various police interviews: “You will need to make your own judgement about these interviews in due course.
"However, we will invite you to note a number of important features of them.
"First, the defendant’s account shifted regularly and was never consistent for long.
"Second, he did at least confirm he had seen Nikki Allan on the night that she was murdered, third he admitted a good knowledge of the Old Exchange Building, fourth he was at pains to provide explanations for the presence of his DNA that, we suggest, were an invention to seek to explain away the findings.”

15:23KALI LINDSAY

Case against defendant set out​

Mr Wright adds: “We have now set out for you in some detail the case against the defendant David Boyd.
"It is, as we have previously observed, a circumstantial case.
"You may remember that at the beginning of this opening speech we identified a number of general observations that we invited you to have well in mind throughout the opening."

15:24KALI LINDSAY

Jurors hear recap of opening address​

“Firstly, that Nikki knew her killer. Secondly that she was killed by a local man who knew the Old Exchange Building very well, third that the killer was a white male in his 20’s who resembled the artists impression created with Margaret Hodgson, fourth that the window of time in which Nikki was lured away was narrow, fifth that she was killed at about 10pm and finally that her killer would have had close contact with her and the clothing that she wore under her coat.

15:25KALI LINDSAY

Boyd at 'centre' of circumstances​

“Over the course of this opening address, we have identified how it is that all of the evidence we will call in this trial places David Boyd at the centre of that set of circumstances.
"He was well known to Nikki Allan, he knew the Exchange Building very well indeed, he matched the description given of the killer and bore a striking resemblance to the killer, he saw Nikki just before she was led away to her death, he has no alibi for the time of the murder, he sought to invent one in 1992 in the statement that he gave to the police, his DNA profile is represented in several different areas of her clothing under her coat, just where you might expect the killer to be represented.

15:26KALI LINDSAY

Jurors can reject 'untruthful' inventions from defendant​

“Whilst he has posited explanations for those findings, you can, we suggest, confidently reject all of them as untruthful inventions. Who remembers thirty years later a pile of bricks in a derelict building that he handled? Unless that person used one of those bricks to shatter the skull of a child inside that building and not knowing what evidence the police have gathered is trying to explain away any potential finding of his DNA. Who recalls sitting and spitting on a balcony thirty years earlier, an act that was never mentioned before he was told that his DNA had been found on her clothing?

15:27KALI LINDSAY

His DNA found on multiple sites​

“More importantly, it is not merely the finding of his DNA on multiple sites that is significant.
"It is the finding of his DNA on multiple sites in the context of all of the other evidence consistent with his guilt.”

15:28KALI LINDSAY

Prosecutor concludes opening address​

Mr Wright concludes his opening address by saying:
“The killing of a child in circumstances such as these is bound to excite an emotional reaction from any person.
"What is required however is a dispassionate and focused approach to the evidence.
"It is the evidence that will prove the guilt of the defendant and not an emotional reaction."

15:36KALI LINDSAY

Prosecution finishes opening address​

“Finally, the prosecution brings this case against this defendant, and it is our obligation to make you sure of his guilt. We will do so by calling the evidence.”

15:37KALI LINDSAY

Case finished for today​

The case has now finished for today and will resume on Monday.

Nikki Allan murder trial LIVE: Jury shown footage of Boyd's arrest

Stockton man David Boyd has denied the murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan, whose body was found in an abandoned building in October 1992

www.gazettelive.co.uk

 

[dotr]

Boyfriend of Nikki Allan's babysitter 'lured' her away from her home'

David Boyd, 55, who is accused of brutally murdering a seven-year-old girl 31 years ago, was the boyfriend of her babysitter, a court heard today.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Heartbroken parents Sharon Henderson and David Allan attending the funeral of their seven-year-old daughter Nikki Allan

 

[JerseyGirl]

Nikki Allan trial: Girl, 7, 'stabbed repeatedly through the chest' after being 'lured to her death', court told

Nikki Allan was killed in a derelict building near her home in Sunderland back in October 1992. David Boyd is on trial at Newcastle Crown Court, charged with her murder.

news.sky.com

 

[ColourPurple]

Nikki Allan trial: Girl, 7, 'stabbed repeatedly through the chest' after being 'lured to her death', court told

Nikki Allan was killed in a derelict building near her home in Sunderland back in October 1992. David Boyd is on trial at Newcastle Crown Court, charged with her murder.

news.sky.com

When asked to explain why his DNA had been found on Nikki's clothing, he said he had spat over his balcony while Nikki was playing below and it "must have soaked through her clothing and onto her skin".

So he spat from his 2nd floor balcony and it happened to land on Nikki playing on the ground floor, and was enough to soak into her clothes in multiple places...

 

[dotr]

When asked to explain why his DNA had been found on Nikki's clothing, he said he had spat over his balcony while Nikki was playing below and it "must have soaked through her clothing and onto her skin".

So he spat from his 2nd floor balcony and it happened to land on Nikki playing on the ground floor, and was enough to soak into her clothes in multiple places...

The kind of pig who spits from his balcony, is just the type of pig who engages in other disgusting acts, imo, speculation.