23 May 2023 , 14:57
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The mum of murdered schoolgirl Nikki Allan says her family have been left 'devastated' after her daughter's killer was not given a whole life sentence.
David Boyd was sentenced to 29 years in prison on Tuesday over the killing of the seven-year-old, who he lured to an abandoned warehouse in Sunderland in October 1992.
He was convicted of murder earlier this month after jurors heard he battered her with a brick and stabbed her in the chest 37 times, before leaving her dead or dying in the basement.
At Newcastle Crown Court today, Judge Mrs Justice Lambert stated that under current sentencing guidelines she would have given Boyd 37 years for the “unimaginable” crime - but could only pass 29 years, as she was constrained by the law as it existed at the time of the offence.
Nikki Allan, aged seven, was savagely beaten with a brick and stabbed 37 times by killer David Boyd (PA)Convicted sex offender Boyd remained at large while innocent man George Heron stood trial for the killing, before he was acquitted on the orders of the judge in 1993.
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Outside court, Nikki Allan’s mother Sharon was disappointed with the 29-year minimum term and said she had only been told today that Boyd would be dealt with under the sentencing regime of the early 1990s, when minimum terms were usually shorter.
She told reporters: “I would have been satisfied with life (a whole life term).
“This is a seven-year-old bairn. When is anyone going to take crimes like this seriously?
“This is what happens to families like mine over and over again – injustice.”
She also slammed police for their failures in the early stages of their investigation, and said "they haven't done their jobs properly".
Wrongly accused George Heron received an apology from police this month ((c) NORTH NEWS & PICTURES)
Real killer David Boyd is awaiting sentencing for murdering Nikki in 1992 (PA)A victim impact statement from Nikki’s mum Sharon Henderson read at court earlier on Tuesday said: “Nikki was a bright and sparky child who was always a mammy’s girl. She had a beautiful smile and was loved.
“I can’t put into words how I felt on finding out she was missing and then found murdered.”
Speaking of her years spent trying to find justice, she added: “I was accused of being a bad mother. Local people were angry towards me and not the person responsible for her murder.
“I was left feeling I had to fight for justice for Nikki. I’ve fought tirelessly and endlessly for this. The stress of it has led to a deterioration in my mental and physical health. I’ve been sectioned and spent periods of time in hospital."
Sharon shared that she had "targeted those I believed were covering for others" over the years, and this had "led to my arrest at times".
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