There was complete silence in the courtroom as the man who murdered seven-year-old Nikki Allan more than 30 years ago was put behind bars.
The reaction was a sharp contrast to the one which could be heard at Newcastle Crown Court just weeks earlier when David Boyd, 55, was convicted of the young girl’s murder in Sunderland in 1992.
On that occasion, those in the public gallery celebrated. Cheers of "yes" and "come on" could rang out as a police officer urged them to be quiet.
