Nikki’s mum demands a public inquiry
THE mum of a seven-year-old girl who was murdered more than 30 years ago has demanded a public inquiry into police failures.
Nikki Allan was struck with a brick and stabbed 37 times by David Boyd in Sunderland on October 7, 1992. The young girl’s body was found in a derelict building, known as the Old Exchange.
Boyd, 55, evaded justice for 31 years. Advances in DNA in recent years led police to him and he was convicted of Nikki’s murder by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday, May 12.
On Tuesday afternoon, Boyd, of Chesterton Court, Norton, Stockton, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 29 years by Mrs Justice Lambert.
Following the sentencing hearing at the court in Newcastle, solicitor Harriet Wistrich read a statement on behalf of Nikki’s mum Sharon Henderson, 56. It called for a public inquiry to be carried out into police failures.
Ms Wistrich, solicitor and director at Centre for Women’s Justice, said it plans to lodge a complaint with the Independent Office of Police Complaints (IOPC) and explore a civil claim for damages. She said: “Sharon Henderson was 25 at the time her beautiful seven-yearold daughter, Nikki, was murdered by David Boyd, she is now 56.
“She thanks the efforts of all those involved in bringing the murderer to justice and welcomes the sentence handed down today in court to the man who so brutally took Nikki’s life and in doing so caused irrevocable damage to Sharon and all her family.
“Quite rightly, the gravity of the sentence passed today reflects Boyd’s refusal to plead guilty, which meant that Sharon and family members had to endure hearing details of the horrific murder at trial a second time around.
“This, however, is not the end of her campaign for Justice.
“Now Sharon demands that Northumbria police are held
accountable for their historic failures that allowed a 31-year wait until the right man was convicted of Nikki’s murder.
“The full extent of the failures remain unknown and therefore we are demanding a public inquiry to examine the historic investigation which led to the wrong man being prosecuted and the police failing to consider alternative suspects until over twenty years later.
“We are also preparing a complaint to be lodged with the Independent Office of Police Complaints and exploring a civil claim for damages on Sharon’s behalf.”
In 1993 innocent George Heron was falsely accused of Nikki’s murder and was found not guilty of the crime. Northumbria Police have now apologised to Mr Heron following Boyd’s conviction.
Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson previously said he had written to say how “truly sorry” he was to Mr Heron for the “mistakes that were made”.
He said: “I have written a personal letter of apology to George on behalf of the police for the way he was treated during the [1992] investigation.
“I am truly sorry for the mistakes that were made during the investigation and I am sorry for the length of time it has taken to get justice for the family. I can’t imagine the impact on them over the last 30 years.”
Sharon demands that Northumbria police are held accountable for their historic failures.
Harriet Wistrich