A forensic scientist who examined the crime scene where Nikki Allan’s body was found more than 30 years ago has told a jury the seven-year-old was dragged into the basement after being struck with a brick.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Hilary Parkinson carried out a thorough examination of her body and the former derelict building in Sunderland where she was discovered.
The youngster died after disappearing from near her home in Hendon and her killer has been at large for three decades.
Read more: Jury hears harrowing accounts of how Nikki's body was found by teenager and his dad
But now former family friend, David Boyd, who was 25 at the time, and lived in the same flats as Nikki’s family, stands accused of her murder.
Giving evidence at his trial the Northumbria Police forensic scientist said she took swabs from Nikki and tested her clothes for evidence of sexual activity but found none.
She said Nikki would have entered the Old Exchange Building by the north west window and that evidence suggests she appears to have already been injured and bleeding.
Ms Parkinson said: “The main assault on Nikki Allan has taken place in room three.
“At some stage when she was already injured and bleeding the upper part of her body was leaning against the east wall of that room.
“In my opinion Nikki had been hit with the brick and it appears she has been hit more than once with that brick.
“The heavy blood staining and blood spatter on the floor is consistent with her having been struck when already injured and bleeding while lying on the floor.
“Nikki Allan has been dragged from room 3 to room 1 in the basement and she has been dragged for most if not all of that distance by holding her legs or ankles.”
The jury was shown the blood-stained brick recovered by police on October 8, 1992, the day after Nikki went missing.
Jurors are told the brick, which was wrapped up, would be heavier than a normal brick at 5.75 pounds.
The jury has been told, as well as suffering a head injuries, Nikki was stabbed 37 times.
The court heard her clothes were heavily blood-stained but her t-shirt was not damaged and it is thought she was stabbed to her exposed torso.
Ms Parkinson said she thought Nikki’s green t-shirt would have ‘ridden up’ to her armpits while she was being dragged.
She demonstrated the position of the clothing using a child-sized headless mannequin which had been brought into the court.
She said: “I formed the opinion the body had been dragged at least for some distance by holding the legs or ankles.
“By pulling the body by the feet, the clothing on the upper body would ruck up.
“If he had pulled the body by the arms instead, the trousers would come down.
“There were a series of creases in the T-shirt formed in the rucking-up process which were heavily stained in dust and dirt and debris.”
She said the blood tested at the scene all matched Nikki’s blood group and that DNA testing techniques were not as sophisticated as modern-day methods.
The jury was told there were continuous drag marks on the floor leading up steps into the room where Nikki was found.
Read more: Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan 'stabbed through heart'
Describing the grim scene, Ms Parkinson said: “Her face, hair and t-shirt were heavily bloodstained.
“There were blood stains on the right wrist and spots of blood on the left wrist and on the body.
“There appeared to be a wound with heavy blood staining associated with it on the left chest region. The t-shirt didn’t cover the wound.
“Smears of blood were visible on both legs below the knees.”
Read next:
- Nikki Allan: Jurors in Sunderland murder trial selected
- Nikki Allan: Murder trial is due to start on April 20
- Man denies murder of Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan
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On Wednesday morning the jury was read a statement from PC Nigel Beattie, the first police officer on the scene after Nikki’s body was found by George Newsome and his stepson Andrew Maven.
He said: “On entering the room I saw the body of a child against the northern wall.
“The drag marks on the floor led to the position in which the child was located.
“The head and face of the child was covered in blood. I could see on the chest of the child what appeared to be a hole with blood around it.”
Boyd, 55, of Chesterton Court, Norton, Stockton, denies murder.
The trial continues.
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