After nearly four decades behind bars, Peter Sullivan has finally walked free.
The 68-year-old man had his murder conviction overturned this week after new DNA evidence proved he was not responsible for the 1986 killing of 21-year-old barmaid Diane Sindall.
The murder happened in Birkenhead, Merseyside, as Diane was walking home after her shift. She was attacked and killed in what police described at the time as a violent and sexual assault. Sullivan was arrested and later convicted, spending 38 years in prison for a crime he always said he didn’t commit.
His release came after the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) flagged fresh concerns with the case. Using modern forensic methods, experts were able to test a semen sample collected from the scene nearly 40 years ago. The DNA did not match Sullivan — or Diane’s fiancé — and pointed instead to an unknown individual.
Appearing via video link from HMP Wakefield, Sullivan became emotional as the ruling was read. Judges at the Court of Appeal said the new findings clearly indicated someone else was responsible. They described the DNA evidence as powerful and said there was no doubt Sullivan’s conviction was unsafe.
The Crown Prosecution Service did not oppose the appeal. A retrial will not be pursued. This makes Sullivan the longest-known living victim of a miscarriage of justice in British history.
Police have now reopened the murder investigation, but so far, no match for the DNA has been found. Over 260 men have been tested and ruled out since the case was revived in 2023. Officers say their search will continue, but the identity of Diane Sindall’s killer remains unknown.
Diane was just 21 at the time of her death and had been planning to get married. Her murder shocked the community and left a family in mourning. Now, nearly four decades later, the case remains unresolved, but the man once blamed has finally been cleared.
Sullivan leaves prison at an age when many retire, after spending more than half his life locked up for something he did not do. His release is a stark reminder of how long justice can take — and how important it is to keep asking questions when the truth remains hidden.