After nearly four decades behind bars for a crime he did not commit, Peter Sullivan has had his murder conviction formally overturned. The 68-year-old, who was wrongfully imprisoned for the 1986 killing of Diane Sindall, has publicly detailed the alleged police brutality and coercion that led to his false confession.
A Brutal Crime and a Flawed Investigation
In August 1986, the community of Birkenhead was shaken by the brutal murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall. The part-time barmaid and bride-to-be was savagely attacked after her van broke down late on August 1st. Her lifeless body was discovered in an alleyway twelve hours later; she had been battered to death, stripped half-naked, indecently assaulted, mutilated, and bitten.
Peter Sullivan, a local man with learning difficulties, was arrested and questioned. He now alleges that during this process, Merseyside Police officers subjected him to severe beatings. "They threw a blanket over the top of me and they were hitting me on top of the blanket with the truncheons to try and get me to co-operate with them," Mr Sullivan told the BBC. "It really hurt, they were leathering me."
He further claims he was deprived of food and sleep and threatened that if he did not confess to the murder, he would be charged with '35 other rapes'. Under this intense pressure, he falsely admitted to the killing, a confession he later retracted.
The Long Road to Exoneration
Despite maintaining his innocence, Mr Sullivan was convicted in 1987. The prosecution's case relied heavily on bite mark evidence, a forensic method now widely discredited, and circumstantial evidence. He was handed a life sentence and repeatedly denied parole because he refused to admit guilt for a crime he did not commit.
His freedom came only after a breakthrough in forensic science. Using advanced DNA analysis techniques that became available in 2015, samples from the original crime scene were re-examined. This revealed a crucial DNA profile that belonged to an unknown male and did not match Mr Sullivan. This new scientific evidence formed the basis for the Court of Appeal in London to quash his conviction in May of this year.
Lord Justice Holroyde, quashing the conviction, stated: "Strong though the circumstantial evidence undoubtedly seemed at the trial, it is now necessary to take into account the new scientific evidence pointing to someone else - the unknown man."
Life Lost and a Search for Justice
Mr Sullivan, who was dubbed the 'Beast of Birkenhead', says the wrongful conviction cost him everything. He lost 38 years of his life and was even denied permission to attend his own mother's funeral while incarcerated.
"I can't forgive them for what they've done to me, because it's going to be there for the rest of my life," he said. He is now entitled to a compensation payout of approximately £1.3 million after ministers increased the cap for those wrongly jailed for ten years or more.
In response, Merseyside Police's Chief Constable Rob Carden expressed his "deep regret" and acknowledged it was a "grave miscarriage of justice." The force stated that the original investigation was conducted nearly 40 years ago and it is "very difficult to comment on investigative practices at that time, when seen through the lens of today." They have referred the original investigation to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The investigation into the murder of Diane Sindall remains active, now supported by the National Crime Agency. Police are dedicated to identifying the source of the new DNA profile to finally bring the real killer to justice.
