After spending nearly four decades behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit, Peter Sullivan wept as the Court of Appeal in London quashed his 1987 murder conviction, citing exonerating DNA evidence.

“I Am Not Angry, I Am Not Bitter”

Appearing via video link from Wakefield Prison, the 68-year-old became the longest-serving victim of wrongful conviction in UK history. His emotional reaction followed the court’s decision to overturn his conviction for the rape and murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Bebington, near Liverpool.

Outside the court, his lawyer Sarah Myatt read a powerful statement on his behalf:

“As God is my witness, it is said the truth shall take you free… I am not angry, I am not bitter.”

Sullivan also expressed his desire to reunite with loved ones after decades of separation.

The 1986 Killing That Led to a Life Lost Behind Bars

Sindall disappeared after her van ran out of fuel late one night in August 1986, as she returned home from a pub job. The young woman, engaged to be married, was found sexually assaulted and beaten in an alley the following morning.

Back then, DNA technology couldn’t analyze key evidence. But in 2024, advances in forensic science identified semen on Sindall’s body that did not match Sullivan, a revelation that ultimately cleared his name.

“The prosecution case is that it was one person,” defense attorney Jason Pitter stated.
“The evidence now shows that person was not the defendant.”

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson agreed the DNA would have made prosecution “inconceivable” at the time.

Years of Legal Setbacks and Final Breakthrough

Sullivan’s battle for justice was long and painful. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) initially declined to refer his case in 2008, claiming tests were unlikely to yield DNA results. He appealed on his own in 2019 and was rejected in 2021. The CCRC reopened the case later that year, finally applying new scientific methods that found the DNA profile that cleared him.

“In light of that evidence, it is impossible to regard the appellant’s conviction as safe,” ruled Justice Timothy Holroyde.

Police Reopen Hunt for Real Killer

Merseyside Police have reopened the murder investigation, ruling out Sindall’s fiancé, her family, and over 260 men already screened. The DNA does not match anyone in the UK’s national database.

Family’s Emotional Response

Outside the court, Sullivan’s sister Kim Smith emphasized the deep toll on both families:

“Peter hasn’t won and neither has the Sindall family. They’ve lost their daughter… We’ve got Peter back and now we’ve got to try and build a life around him again.”