A man who spent 38 years in prison for the murder of a woman in 1986 was recently found guilty by the Court of Appeal.
Peter Sullivan, who was sentenced at age 30 and is currently 68, holds the record for the longest time served in Britain under potentially wrongful conviction. This follows initial attempts by three senior judges to overturn his conviction.
Diane Cindall, a 21-year-old barmaid, was discovered dead in Bevington, Merseyside, in August 1986. Sullivan was arrested the next month and convicted by November 1987. Despite a minimum term of 16 years, he remains imprisoned.
Efforts to challenge his conviction began in 2008 when the Criminal Case Review Board (CCRC) declined to refer his case to the Court of Appeal. He also lost his own appeal attempt in 2019.
In 2021, Sullivan requested that the CCRC revisit his case, which revealed that DNA evidence collected at the crime scene did not match him.
During a recent hearing, Sullivan’s attorney presented new evidence indicating that the real murderer was “not a defendant.”
A representative from the Crown Prosecutor’s Office informed the court that the DNA evidence raised serious concerns about the safety of the original conviction.
Judge Holloyd, alongside Justices Goth and Brian, expressed the necessity of re-evaluating Sullivan’s case in light of the new DNA findings, indicating that it put the safety of the conviction into question.
Durning the hearing, via video link from HMP Wakefield, Sullivan could be seen reacting emotionally, with observers noting the gravity of the moment when his conviction was overturned.
Following the verdict, a family member in the courtroom was visibly upset.
Merseyside police addressed the situation, stating that significant DNA evidence was not available at the time of Sullivan’s original investigation and vowed to seek out anyone whose DNA was found at the scene of Cindall’s death.
Karen Yandrill of DCS conveyed sympathies to Cindall’s family and friends, expressing hope that this new development, although difficult, could lead to further understanding of the case.
She remarked that the DNA identified does not match anyone in Diane’s family or her fiancé at that time, emphasizing its potential significance in linking the perpetrator to the crime scene.
Yandrill noted the community-wide impact of Cindall’s murder and urged those who may have relevant information from 1986 to come forward as it could be crucial in identifying the DNA.
