Sunderland fans give applause for Nikki Allan at 30th minute of play-off match against Luton

David Boyd, 55, of Chesterton Court, Norton, Stockton, was found guilty of her killing on Friday, May 12, after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court. He will be sentenced on May 23.

SAFC fans attending the Luton match in the first leg of the promotion play-offs at the Stadium of Light - which saw Sunderland win 2-1 - were asked to give a round of applause for Nikki at the game to help mark justice being done.

Nikki was just seven year’s old at the time of her killing in October 1992. Boyd, who was 25 at the time and later admitted having sexual fantasies about young girls, took her to the then-derelict Old Exchange Building in the East End, where he shattered her skull with a brick before stabbing her 37 times.

Nikki’s family have waited more than 30 years for justice. Sunderland still played matches at Roker Park at the time of Nikki’s killing, the Stadium of Light would not open for another five years.

Nikki’s mother Sharon Henderson never gave up her campaign to see justice for her daughter.

During the trial, it was revealed her killer, Boyd, had been convicted of indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl in 1999.

He also had a conviction for indecent exposure in 1997 when he flashed three young girls in a park and one for breaching the peace in 1986 when he grabbed a 10-year-old girl and asked her for a kiss.

Speaking on Friday, Nikki’s mother Sharon Henderson said she hoped other victims of the ‘evil man’ may now come forward.

“I felt numb, shocked,” she said.

“I have kept the strength to carry on because Nikki is my daughter and I love her.

“I’ve been in and out of mental hospitals.

“I hope that the other victims come forward.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Lisa Theaker, the senior investigating officer in the case, said after the conviction: “Nikki would have been 37 now and who knows what her life could have been.

“But her future was cruelly taken away her by David Boyd. The pain and suffering that he has caused, and to so many people, is immeasurable.

“This is a huge day for Nikki’s family. I would like to thank them for their incredible strength – after 30 years, they have justice.”