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Nikki Allan’s mum’s shock at watching cop she’s never met apologise to her on TV
The mother of murdered schoolgirl Nikki Allan has spoken of her shock at hearing a police force’s apology over failings in their investigation on the TV.
Sharon Henderson says she should have been visited personally by a senior officer, describing the move as “hollow”.
The 56-year-old also says she would prefer Northumbria Police to be appealing for more victims of Nikki’s killer, Stockton man David Boyd, to come forward.
READ MORE: Nikki Allan’s mum recalls emotional visit to ‘monster’ David Boyd’s Stockton home after first arrest
Nikki was just seven-years-old when she was killed by David Boyd in 1992. The Sunderland schoolgirl had been stabbed multiple times and smashed over the head with a brick – and her body was located in the derelict Old Exchange building the following morning.
Nikki’s family spent over 30 years waiting for justice – with advances in DNA leading to Boyd’s profile being found on the girl’s clothes. Boyd has been convicted of murder following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court – and the police who led the investigation have stressed that no one else is responsible for the death.
He was arrested when police stormed a house in Middleton Walk, in Stockton in April 2018, leaving neighbours shocked and watching on in curiosity as forensic officers spent eight hours combing his property.
At a press conference on Wednesday, six days before Boyd is due to be sentenced for one of Britain’s most notorious crimes, Northumbria Police Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson told reporters: “I am truly sorry for the mistakes that were made in the 1992 investigation and I’m 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 course of the last 30 years so I have offered to meet with Sharon and with other members of the family, and I will be happy to say that to them when I meet.”
The force also apologised to wrongly accused George Heron, who they “built a case around” as Boyd, 55, was left to walk free for 30 years.
Sharon said: “I don’t accept their apology, it feels hollow to me, especially as I had to hear about it through the media. I would have appreciated a senior officer coming to my door to talk to me and to apologise in person, face to face. This acceptance of all the failings over so many years has been a long time coming and this was not the way to do it.
“I was left to investigate Nikki’s murder myself for all that time and I asked the question over and over again about who that man was who lived in the flat three doors from my dad and step-mam.
“And yet it took 30 years and a DNA scientist to catch up with Boyd, he should have been in their sights immediately.”
She added: “Instead of apologising to me I would prefer them to be appealing for more victims of Boyd to come forward. Because of their investigation he has been free to do as he likes for all this time, thinking he’s untouchable and there will be other victims out there, I’m sure of that.
“It was a shock to watch some police officer I’d never seen before making an apology to me on the TV at a news conference I didn’t even know was happening. I’d prefer to see action rather than words, I think other people were involved in NIkki’s murder and to me this is not over and I won’t be satisfied by an apology made through the media.”
Northumbria Police say they made repeated attempts to contact Sharon before the press interviews but were unable to contact her.
However, after publication of this article, the force says officers have spoken with Sharon and will further offer the opportunity for her to meet with Assistant Chief Constable Alastair Simpson should she wish.
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.
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