Nikki Allan trial: Girl's bloodstained body found in basement

Nikki Allan was killed on 7 October 1992

A seven-year-old girl's "heavily bloodstained" body was found dumped in the basement of a derelict building more than 30 years ago, a court heard.

Nikki Allan was found with 37 stab wounds in the Old Exchange building, Sunderland, in October 1992.

David Boyd, 55, of Chesterton Court, Stockton-on-Tees, denies murder.

A forensic scientist told Newcastle Crown Court that trails of blood indicated Nikki had been "dragged for some distance" through the building.

The court has heard Nikki was seen "skipping" behind a man shortly before 22:00 on 7 October 1992 towards the Old Exchange.

It is believed her killer lifted her up and pushed her inside through a broken boarded up window more than 6ft off the ground.

Jurors have seen an aerial image of Sunderland taken in 1992 showing where Nikki lived (in rectangle) and died (in circle)

Her disappearance sparked a major search with members of the community finding her body in the basement of the building the following morning.

On the fourth day of the the trial, the court heard a statement from PC Nigel Beattie, the first police officer to reach Nikki's body.

He recalled that officers met a woman in the street in a "distressed state" who cried out "Oh God! It's the bairn, they've found the bairn" at about 10:30 on 8 October.

A group of men then directed him to a corner room in the basement where he saw Nikki's body lying against a wall.

He said her face and head were "covered in blood" and her chest appeared to have a blood-soaked "hole in it".

An artist's impression of the suspect in the murder of Nikki Allan was shown to the jury

Hilary Parkinson, the forensic scientist who examined the scene, found "splashes of blood" on the sill and floor around the window used for entry and a bloodstained brick.

She said Nikki was struck at least three times with large amounts of blood found in a ground-floor room.

Ms Parkinson said there were "drag marks visible in the dust and debris" leading down stairs to the basement and through one room into another.

Jurors were told her body had been pulled "for some distance" by the legs or ankles.

Ms Parkinson said Nikki's face, hair and green T-shirt were "heavily bloodstained" and her torso was naked when she was stabbed.

She said the use of DNA in criminal prosecutions was "in its infancy" in 1992 but she used adhesive tape to take fibre samples from Nikki's body at the scene.

The court heard Nikki was certified dead at the scene by Dr George Taylor at about 11:45 and was formally identified by her grandfather Richard Prest at Sunderland General Hospital's mortuary just before 17:00.

The jury has previously been shown CCTV footage the prosecution says shows Nikki and her killer and features an adult walking in front of a child.

They have also been told a woman heard screaming coming from the Old Exchange.

The trial continues.