Peter Sullivan: Police Bullied Me

The Man Who Lost a Lifetime: 38 Years of Injustice

A man who spent almost four decades behind bars for a murder he did not commit has described the torment of his wrongful conviction. Peter Sullivan, now 68, alleges that police officers in 1986 used physical violence and coercive tactics to secure a false confession. His statements represent the first public account he has given since a court ruling led to his freedom. Mr Sullivan firmly asserts he was intentionally set up for the homicide of Diane Sindall, a 21-year-old florist who was savagely attacked and killed in Birkenhead.

Developments in scientific analysis ultimately confirmed his innocence, leading the Court of Appeal to overturn his guilty verdict in May 2024. This case, one of the most protracted judicial errors in British history, has shone a harsh light on historical policing methods and the devastating, lifelong repercussions for those wrongly accused. It reopens profound questions about the validity of confessions obtained under pressure and the fallibility of a system designed to protect the innocent.

A Brutal Crime and a Fateful Night

The horrifying sequence of events began on the night of 1 August 1986. Diane Sindall, a young florist saving money for her wedding, was completing a part-time shift at the Wellington public house in Bebington. After finishing around 11:45 pm, she departed for home in her blue Fiat van. Tragically, the vehicle ran out of fuel on Borough Road in Birkenhead. People later reported seeing her walking on the road between midnight and 12:20 am.

Twelve hours later, an individual walking their dog made a grim discovery in a nearby alley. Ms Sindall’s body was found, showing signs of a ferocious sexual assault and a frenzied, fatal beating. A pathologist would later detail her injuries as the "very worst" he had ever witnessed outside of a traffic accident, a testament to the extreme violence used. The murder created shockwaves of fear across Merseyside, leaving the community in a state of high anxiety.

The Investigation's Focus Shifts

Merseyside Police initiated what would become the largest manhunt in the agency's history. Investigators interviewed approximately 3,000 individuals, at one stage reportedly weighing the enormous task of questioning every man in Birkenhead. The inquiry took a decisive turn following a televised appeal on the BBC programme Crimewatch. Individuals provided information, positioning Peter Sullivan inside a pub close to where the killing occurred that evening.

Others gave accounts of seeing a man who matched his appearance the following day close to Bidston Hill, a vast wooded expanse where Ms Sindall's partly singed garments were discovered two weeks after her death. On 23 September 1986, based on these reports and supposed inconsistencies in his statements, police apprehended Mr Sullivan under suspicion of murder. This event began an intense four-week interrogation period that would seal his fate for the subsequent thirty-eight years, initiating a catastrophic judicial error.

Interrogations Under Duress

Over the next month, Peter Sullivan was subjected to 22 separate police interviews. During the initial seven of these sessions, authorities refused him legal counsel. He has described this experience as deeply intimidating, asserting that detectives implanted ideas and stories into his mind. He alleges a manipulative pattern where he would be returned to his cell, only to be brought back to recite the details the police wanted, without fully understanding the severe implications of his statements.

Mr Sullivan, who has documented cognitive challenges, did not have the support of an appropriate adult to assist his comprehension of the proceedings, a fact noted in official custody documents but not addressed. The situation worsened dramatically, he claims, when officers used physical force on two separate instances inside his cell. He recounts them concealing him with a blanket and then striking him with truncheons to compel his cooperation, a brutal tactic he says left him in great pain.

The Pressure to Confess

The psychological pressure was incessant. Mr Sullivan alleges he was informed he would be charged with "35 other rapes" if he refused to confess to the murder of Diane Sindall. He also claims he was deprived of sustenance and rest, methods calculated to break his resolve. When responding to questions about his reasons for admitting to a crime of such gravity if he was innocent, his explanation is direct. He states that the ceaseless bullying and intimidation compelled him to surrender, as he could no longer withstand the pressure. This forced confession became the central pillar of the prosecution's case.

Court of Appeal documents later confirmed his first admission of guilt was not taped and no lawyer was present, a major breach of procedure even by the standards of that period. Merseyside Police later stated they had no prior knowledge of the accusations of beatings and that regulations concerning appropriate adults have seen considerable reinforcement since 1986.

Flawed Evidence and a Guilty Verdict

Beyond the retracted confessions, the prosecution depended significantly on bite mark analysis, an area of forensic study now largely considered unreliable. Experts during that period claimed that marks on Ms Sindall’s body were consistent with Mr Sullivan's teeth, leading to cruel tabloid labels like "The Wolfman." This evidence, paired with the coerced admissions and circumstantial witness reports, was presented to a jury at Liverpool Crown Court. In a time before the widespread availability of sophisticated DNA testing, this was considered enough. On the fifth day of November 1987, the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Peter Sullivan, who insisted he was merely a petty thief, was convicted of murder. He remembers his sister collapsing inside the courtroom as the verdict was announced, a moment that signalled the start of an almost unimaginable four-decade struggle for freedom from a maximum-security prison.

A Life Stolen by the System

Life in prison was exceptionally difficult for an individual found guilty of such a brutal crime. Labelled a savage murderer and a sexual predator, Mr Sullivan faced physical assaults from fellow inmates. He explains that raising concerns about such violence was not a viable choice, as being seen as an informant would only invite worse treatment. Throughout his decades of imprisonment, he never stopped proclaiming his innocence.

This steadfast refusal to admit guilt, a condition often tied to parole eligibility, greatly reduced his prospects for release. His punishment included a minimum period of sixteen years, but he would serve more than twice that. Every day was a battle against despair, sustained only by the conviction of his parents, who sadly passed away long before his name was cleared. In a particularly cruel instance, prison authorities denied him leave to go to his mother’s burial service in 2013, citing that her final resting place was in the identical graveyard as Diane Sindall.

The Unravelling of a Lie

The start of the resolution to Peter Sullivan's nightmare arrived in 2023. The Criminal Cases Review Commission, the CCRC, which is the official organisation that looks into possible wrongful convictions, mandated new forensic analysis of semen samples collected from the body of Miss Sindall from 1986. Scientific methods had progressed immeasurably since the first inquiry. The findings were conclusive. The DNA profile generated from the samples did not belong to Peter Sullivan. Instead, it was a match for an unknown male. The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, after reviewing the new data, determined there was no longer a credible reason to contest an appeal and that the evidence fundamentally weakened the safety of the original conviction. This scientific breakthrough cleared a path for Mr Sullivan's long-overdue exoneration, supplying the irrefutable proof of innocence he had been denied for a lifetime.

Freedom and a World Transformed

In May of 2024, Peter Sullivan observed via video link from HMP Wakefield as the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment. He was seated beside his probation officer, whom he remembers was the first to start crying when the verdict was announced. She turned to him and said, "Peter, you're going home." He described how, in that moment, all the suppressed emotion of 38 years was unleashed as tears streamed down his face. Justice, finally, had been served.

But freedom presented its own difficulties. The world he re-joined was bewilderingly different from the one he departed in 1986, a time before the internet and during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher. He spoke of the disorienting sight of the vast variety of modern cars on the road. The psychological marks of institutionalisation also run deep; he has found himself instinctively waiting in his room awaiting a prison guard's roll call, a routine embedded by nearly forty years of rigid structure.

The Unanswered Questions

Following the overturning of his conviction, Mr Sullivan is demanding a formal expression of remorse from Merseyside Police and a reason why he was singled out. The force has conveyed its "regret" that a "grave miscarriage of justice" happened but asserts its detectives operated according to the legal standards of that period. The force also said that owing to the significant shifts in legal rules and inquiry methods, there would be "little benefit" in a formal review of the original investigation.

It confirmed it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct following the appeal, but no official misconduct was found. This reply has not appeased Mr Sullivan, who feels he must bear the weight of what was done to him until he is given a full and proper apology for the life that was taken from him. His case underscores the profound challenges in making institutions accountable for historical errors.

A Hunt for the Real Killer

With Peter Sullivan's exoneration, the inquiry into the homicide of Diane Sindall is officially active once again. Merseyside Police are now dedicated to identifying the man whose DNA was located at the scene. This presents an immense challenge, almost four decades after the crime occurred. The DNA profile from "unknown male one" has not matched any individual on the national DNA database. Detectives, with assistance from the National Crime Agency, are now meticulously re-evaluating the initial investigation. To date, over 260 men have been checked and eliminated. The police are appealing to the public for any details, regardless of how minor they may seem, requesting anyone who lived in the vicinity during that period or had concerns about an individual's behaviour to come forward. For Diane Sindall's relatives, the court's decision means their long wait for justice is not finished; it has been reset.

The Broader Impact on Families

Wrongful convictions inflict a unique and severe trauma that radiates far beyond the prison gates. The effect on the families of the wrongly accused is a type of secondary punishment, defined by social ostracism, financial hardship, and deep emotional turmoil. For decades, Peter Sullivan’s family suffered the agony of seeing him depicted as a monster in tabloid headlines. They lost a son and brother, their lives dominated by a battle to prove his innocence against a system that seemed immovable.

The emotional cost is immense, filled with missed life events and unresolved sorrow. This collective trauma can push relationships to their breaking point. For the relatives of the original victim, the exoneration delivers a new wave of pain, compelling them to face the fact that the true killer has remained free, their own grief deepened by the justice system's catastrophic mistake.

The System's Safety Net in Question

The situation surrounding Peter Sullivan has once again put the Criminal Cases Review Commission under intense scrutiny. The CCRC had previously turned down an application to examine his case in 2008, asserting that new DNA evidence was unlikely to be obtained. This mirrors criticisms aimed at the commission in other high-profile judicial errors, such as that of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he was innocent of.

In both instances, the CCRC had initially declined to send the cases back to the Court of Appeal. These events have sparked calls for a swift overhaul of the appeals process, with critics claiming it is not fit for purpose in quickly identifying and correcting the state's most serious errors. The resignations of the CCRC's chair and chief executive earlier this year have only amplified the debate about the organisation's effectiveness and its function as the supposed safety net of the justice system.

The Legacy of Outdated Forensics

The reliance on the analysis of bite marks in Peter Sullivan's 1987 trial highlights the danger of using unvalidated forensic methods in court proceedings. During that period, forensic odontology was presented to juries as a dependable science capable of making a positive identification. However, in the subsequent decades, the field has been extensively discredited. Numerous studies have revealed a significant error rate and a lack of scientific support for the assertion that human teeth are unique enough to identify a perpetrator from a mark left on skin.

The Innocence Project in the United States has identified at least 26 cases of wrongful conviction or arrest based on flawed bite mark analysis. Mr Sullivan's case is a stark British illustration of how exaggerated claims and weak scientific foundations can lead to devastating wrongful convictions, sending an innocent person to prison for their entire adult life.

Policing Methods in the 1980s

The allegations of coercion and pressure during Peter Sullivan's interrogation are indicative of a policing culture that has since experienced major reform. Before the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) of 1984 was fully in force, interrogations by police were frequently not recorded, and suspects had fewer legal protections. The objective was often to secure a confession rather than to conduct an open-minded collection of facts. PACE brought in vital safeguards, including the mandatory audio recording of interviews and reinforcing the right to legal counsel. While these changes were intended to stop the kind of pressure Mr Sullivan describes, his case, which was investigated shortly after PACE's introduction, shows that the shift to a new culture was not instantaneous. It serves as a historical reminder of the system's vulnerabilities and the potential for abuse of power within the confines of an interview room.

The Long Road to Compensation

For those who have endured a judicial error, financial recompense is a critical, if insufficient, step toward rebuilding a life. However, the procedure is neither automatic nor quick. Under current UK law, an exonerated individual like Peter Sullivan must apply to the scheme and demonstrate "beyond reasonable doubt" that they were not guilty of the offence. This inverts the standard burden of proof and is a barrier many find impossible to overcome.

Even if they succeed, the payment is capped. Following a recent 30% rise, the maximum award for someone jailed for ten years or more is £1.3 million. For the 38 years Peter Sullivan lost, this amounts to just over £34,000 for each year of his life that was stolen. Campaigners argue this limit is arbitrary and does not reflect the actual cost of lost freedom, career, family life, and mental health, calling the entire system an insult on top of an injury.

A Life Interrupted, A Future Uncertain

Peter Sullivan now confronts the huge task of reconstructing his life. After spending more of his life incarcerated than as a free person, the adaptation is enormous. Simple, daily activities are novel and overwhelming. The psychological trauma of wrongful imprisonment frequently results in long-term conditions like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Rebuilding connections with family and creating a new identity outside the shadow of a horrific crime is a monumental task.

While he has expressed no bitterness, he carries the heavy weight of his lost years and the deaths of his parents while he was in prison. His future is still unclear, dependent on navigating a complex compensation process and recovering from wounds that may never fully heal. His story is a powerful testament to human resilience, but also a lasting indictment of a system that failed him so completely.

A Tale of Two Traumas

The exoneration of Peter Sullivan does not bring a chapter to a close; it reopens it with painful intensity for two families. The Sullivans have a loved one back, but he is a man irreversibly altered by four decades of unjust imprisonment. They must now handle the complexities of his reintegration while continuing to address their own long-standing trauma. For the relatives of Diane Sindall, the pain is arguably even more intense.

They are compelled to revisit the horror of her murder, with the additional torment of knowing the man they believed was responsible is innocent. The justice they thought they had has been shown to be an illusion, and the real murderer has eluded capture for decades. As his sister Kim Smith said outside the court, "it's not just us, Peter hasn't won and neither has the Sindall family." Both families are still connected by a tragedy and a catastrophic failure of justice.