Photographs of the derelict building where Nikki Allan was brutally beaten and stabbed to death have been released by prosecutors as jurors heard details of the seven-year-old’s extensive injuries.
Pictures of the crime scene at the Old Exchange Building in Sunderland, where the missing girl’s body was found over 30 years ago, have been submitted as evidence.
It follows a fresh investigation by police with former family friend, David Boyd, who was 25 at the time, now on trial for Nikki’s murder.
Read more: Girl was dragged into basement after being hit with brick
Read more: Sunderland schoolgirl Nikki Allan 'stabbed through heart'
On Thursday morning Newcastle Crown Court heard from Home Office pathologist, Dr Nigel Cooper, who was a registrar at the time and attended the scene in the basement of the building where her body was found.
He gave evidence to explain the conclusions drawn by the pathologist in October 1992, Dr Ranasinghe, who has since died.
The cause of Nikki’s death was said to have been from the ‘shock and haemorrhaging from due to multiple blows to the head causing extensive fracturing to the skull and injury to the brain together with multiple stab wounds to the left of her abdomen causing injuries to the heart, lung and liver’.
The jury has been told that a blood-stained brick was found in the building and Dr Cooper told jurors ‘considerable force’ would be needed to cause the catastrophes injuries Nikki suffered to her head.
He said the head injury was likely to have bled heavily and caused splashes of blood.
Dr Cooper said: “The amount of splash and spatter of blood around the main blood pools made it difficult to conceive that somebody close to that would not be contaminated.”
Dr Cooper said Nikki suffered at least 26 stab wounds inflicted with relatively small knife, such as a kitchen knife or pen knife.
He said the deepest knife wound was 10cm and marks on Nikki’s from the hilt of the knife indicate it was fully inserted.
He is it is likely she was unconscious when she was stabbed as there are no defensive injuries.
The court heard some of the stab wounds went all the way to the back of her chest cavity although none had come out of her back.
One had entered the liver and the pathologist said the knife had gone through muscle in the chest wall and through cartilage between one of the ribs, partially severing cartilage between another rib.
Eight stab wounds went into the heart, 28 into the left lung, two into the aorta, and three into a structure just above the heart.
Dr Cooper said: “The obvious explanation, given the position and number of the stab wounds, is that she was lying flat on her back while hey were inflicted.
“I think very probably already unconscious, but not dead.”
Dr Cooper concluded that when Nikki was dead, or close to dying, she was dragged to where her body was found.
Read more: Jury hears harrowing accounts of how Nikki's body was found by teenager and his dad
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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The youngster disappeared on October 7, 1992, while playing with friends in the Wear Garth area where she lived.
Her body was found by family friends out searching for her on the following morning.
David Boyd, 55, of Chesterton Court, Stockton, denies murder.
The trial continues.
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