Thirty-Eight Years Lost: The Peter Sullivan Story
A man who spent nearly four decades behind bars for a crime he didn't commit has broken his silence about the police methods that led to his wrongful conviction. Peter Sullivan, now 68, had his murder conviction overturned in May after new DNA evidence emerged, ending one of Britain's longest miscarriages of justice.
Brutal Interrogation Tactics Revealed
In his first major interview since being released, Sullivan told BBC North West that Merseyside police officers used violence and threats to extract a false confession. He described being beaten in his cell while a blanket covered him, with officers striking him with truncheons.
"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 cooperate with them," Sullivan recalled. "It really hurt, they were leathering me."
The abuse didn't stop there. Despite custody records noting his learning difficulties, Sullivan claims he was denied food, sleep and the attendance of an appropriate adult during questioning.
The False Confession That Stole 38 Years
Sullivan alleges police threatened him with charges for "35 other rapes" if he didn't confess to the murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall. The young florist and part-time pub worker was killed in August 1987 as she left work in Bebington, Merseyside.
The original case against Sullivan alleged he had been drinking heavily after losing a darts match and encountered Sindall while armed with a crowbar. The brutal nature of the murder prompted sensational tabloid headlines branding Sullivan the "beast of Birkenhead" and "the Wolfman" due to bite marks found on the victim's body.
"The names, they'll always stick with me because I've never been anything like that," Sullivan said, reflecting on the damaging labels that followed him for decades.
A Life Lost and Unanswered Questions
The personal cost of his wrongful imprisonment has been devastating. Sullivan lost both parents while incarcerated and missed the opportunity to be with them in their final moments.
"I lost all my freedom, I lost my mother, since I was put in prison, I've lost my father, and it hurts because I wasn't there for them," he emotionally shared.
Despite his ordeal, Sullivan expressed sympathy for Diane Sindall's family, acknowledging their continued suffering as the real killer remains at large.
"I feel sorry for the family and what they're going through at the moment, where they're back at square one and not knowing who the person is that killed their daughter," Sullivan said. He even offered to support the family in court when the real perpetrator is found.
Merseyside police have reopened the murder investigation in 2023, revealing that 456 men have been screened and eliminated from their inquiries to date. The force stated they "regret that there has been a grave miscarriage of justice in this case" but claimed Sullivan's allegations of beatings and rape threats were "the first time, that we are aware, that this allegation has come to light."
Sullivan has yet to receive any compensation for his 38 years of wrongful imprisonment and continues to seek an apology from the police force he says destroyed his life.
