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Man freed after 38 years claims police brutality forced false confession
Peter Sullivan, 68, whose 1986 murder conviction was overturned in May after new DNA evidence emerged, has accused Merseyside Police of beating him and coercing a false confession during interrogations. In his first interview since release, Sullivan-who has learning difficulties-told the BBC he was "stitched up" over the killing of Diane Sindall, 21, in Birkenhead, and demanded an apology from the force.
Allegations of police misconduct and psychological pressure
Sullivan described being subjected to 22 police interviews over four weeks, with no legal representation for the first seven sessions. "They were putting stuff into my mind, then sending me back to my cell," he said. "I'd return and say what they wanted, not realizing what I was doing." He alleged officers twice covered him with a blanket and struck him with truncheons to extract cooperation, adding, "They leathered me. It really hurt."
He also claimed investigators threatened to charge him with "35 other rapes" if he refused to confess, while denying him food and sleep. Despite custody records noting his learning difficulties, Sullivan was not provided an appropriate adult during questioning. "The bullying forced me to throw my hands in," he admitted. "I couldn't take it anymore."
"All I can say, it was the bullying that forced me to throw my hands in, because I couldn't take it anymore."
Peter Sullivan, speaking to the BBC
Police response and historical context
Merseyside Police stated it had no prior record of Sullivan's beating allegations or threats of additional charges, though it acknowledged legal advice was initially withheld due to fears evidence might be compromised. The force maintained officers acted "within the law at the time" but conceded a "grave miscarriage of justice" occurred. Guidelines on appropriate adults for vulnerable suspects have since been strengthened, it added.
Decades of imprisonment and the fight for exoneration
Sullivan's ordeal began after Sindall's body was discovered in a Birkenhead alley on 2 August 1986, with her partially burned clothing found days later on Bidston Hill. Witnesses placed Sullivan near both locations, leading to his arrest on 23 September 1986. The prosecution relied heavily on his retracted confessions and bite-mark evidence-a forensic method now widely discredited.
Convicted in 1987, Sullivan served 38 years, including periods of violent assault in prison. "I've been battered because of the crime I was in for," he said, noting that reporting attacks risked further retaliation. His mother's dying words-"I want you to carry on fighting this case because you've done nothing wrong"-fueled his decades-long appeal.
The role of DNA and a belated victory
The breakthrough came in 2023 when the Criminal Cases Review Commission ordered fresh DNA testing of semen samples from Sindall's body. The results, uncontested by the Crown Prosecution Service, led to Sullivan's conviction being quashed in May 2025. "When they said, 'Peter, you're going home,' I burst into tears," he recalled. "Justice has been done."
Life after exoneration and unanswered questions
Adjusting to freedom has been disorienting for Sullivan, who entered prison under Margaret Thatcher's premiership and emerged into a world transformed by technology. "I watched cars go by-I'd never seen so many different models," he said. Lingering habits, like waiting for prison roll calls, underscore the psychological toll of his imprisonment.
Sullivan expressed sympathy for Sindall's family, now "back at square one" in their quest for justice. Merseyside Police, citing "substantial changes" in investigative practices since 1986, deemed a formal review of the case unwarranted. The Independent Office for Police Conduct found no misconduct after a self-referral by the force.
Compensation and the road ahead
Sullivan's solicitor, Sarah Myatt, is assisting with his compensation claim, capped at £1.3 million for wrongful convictions. "No sum could compensate for losing 38 years," she stated. Meanwhile, Sindall's murder case remains open, with no new arrests reported.
"There's not a figure that you could say would be enough for losing 38 years of your life."
Sarah Myatt, Sullivan's solicitor
