‘Beast of Birkenhead’ Peter Sullivan in line for £1m reimbursement payout after spending 38 years in prison for homicide he did not dedicate in UK’s longest miscarriage of justice

The sufferer of considered one of Britain’s worst miscarriages of justice walked loose closing night time having spent 38 years in prison.

Peter Sullivan, 68, is now in line for a £1 million payout after judges quashed his conviction for the homicide of 21-year-old florist Diane Sindall in 1986.

Dubbed the Beast of Birkenhead after the brutal killing, Mr Sullivan had lengthy protested his innocence. 

But the day before today he mentioned he was once ‘no longer sour’ or ‘offended’, and can ‘start repairing what I made out of the driftwood this is my lifestyles’.

In a observation launched via his solicitor Sarah Myatt moments after his conviction was once thrown out on the Court of Appeal in London, he added: ‘As God is my witness, it’s mentioned the reality shall set you loose. It is unlucky that it does no longer give a timescale.’

It manner Miss Sindall’s killer might nonetheless be at massive, after contemporary advances in DNA research prompt an unknown male was once answerable for the sexually-motivated homicide in Merseyside.

The new suspect does no longer seem at the National DNA Database, neither is he connected to every other unsolved offences, bringing contemporary anguish to the family members of Miss Sindall. 

Detectives with Merseyside Police have already begun a brand new investigation into the killing.

He is now in line for a £1 million payout after judges quashed his conviction for the homicide of 21-year-old florist Diane Sindall (pictured) in 1986

A courtroom cartoon presentations Peter Sullivan, now 68, reactsing as he came upon his conviction were quashed on May 13

Yesterday’s atypical occasions observe a different investigation by way of Stephen Wright in The Mail on Sunday this 12 months, which signalled judges had been poised to reserve his unlock.

Mr Sullivan, showing by means of videolink from Wakefield Prison, first of all confirmed little emotion when Lord Justice Holroyde introduced the day before today’s resolution.

The pass judgement on mentioned: ‘Strong regardless that the circumstantial proof certainly gave the impression on the trial, it’s now important to have in mind the brand new medical proof pointing to anyone else – the unknown guy.

‘If the brand new proof were to be had in 1986, the proof as an entire would had been thought to be inadequate. In the sunshine of that proof it’s unattainable to treat the appellant’s conviction as protected.’

Mr Sullivan then perceived to wipe his eyes as regardless that the enormity of the placement was once in any case dawning on him.

Outside courtroom, his sister Kim Smith, flanked by way of brothers Mark and David Sullivan, mentioned the circle of relatives would ‘attempt to construct a lifestyles round him once more’.

She additionally presented her sympathy to Miss Sindall’s kinfolk, telling journalists: ‘We misplaced Peter for 39 years… [he] hasn’t received and neither has the Sindall circle of relatives. They’ve misplaced their daughter, they aren’t going to get her again.’

Mr Sullivan was once passed a lifestyles sentence with a minimal time period of 16 years in 1987, however has been denied parole a couple of instances, in large part because of his refusal to confess accountability for the killing.

Outside courtroom, his sister Kim Smith, flanked by way of brothers Mark and David Sullivan, mentioned the circle of relatives would ‘attempt to construct a lifestyles round him once more’ 

Mr Sullivan, showing by means of videolink from Wakefield Prison (pictured), first of all confirmed little emotion when Lord Justice Holroyde introduced the day before today’s resolution

A courtroom artist cartoon presentations Mr Sullivan showing at a prior listening to in March 2025

The Wirral pub the place Miss Sindall labored on the time to lend a hand pay for her impending wedding ceremony

He carried out to the High Court for permission to attraction in opposition to his conviction in 2019, however this was once rejected by way of the Court of Appeal in 2021. 

Then, in November closing 12 months, the Criminal Cases Review Commission mentioned his case were referred to the Court of Appeal at the foundation of the DNA proof.

Samples taken on the time of the homicide had been re-examined and a DNA profile that didn’t fit Mr Sullivan was once discovered. 

This an important proof was once published by way of one way that simplest got here into use in 2015. 

Miss Sindall was once brutally killed after she left paintings at a pub in Bebington, Birkenhead, simply prior to nighttime on Friday August 1, 1986.

The bride-to-be, who was once choosing up barmaid shifts to earn more money for her wedding ceremony, was once strolling to a storage to shop for some gas after her van broke down.

Her useless and brutally abused frame was once came upon 12 hours later in an alley.

At his trial, prosecutors mentioned Mr Sullivan, a petty felony and fantasist with restricted intelligence, had spent the day ingesting, and went out armed with a crowbar.

In a observation launched via his solicitor Sarah Myatt (pictured) moments after his conviction was once thrown out on the Court of Appeal in London, he added: ‘As God is my witness, it’s mentioned the reality shall set you loose. It is unlucky that it does no longer give a timescale’ 

Members of Mr Sullivan’s circle of relatives within the public gallery wept as Lord Justice Holroyde introduced: ‘We quash the conviction’

A memorial pill pictured on a grass verge close to the scene of Ms Sindall’s tragic homicide

Evidence on the time prompt he had just lately borrowed a crowbar from a neighbour and was once positioned close to the scene by way of witnesses.

But he denied going any place close to the place the crime happened and having the crowbar in his ownership, and mentioned he had given other accounts to police as a result of he may just no longer keep in mind his actions. 

He mentioned he made confessions about being accountable as a result of he were assaulted and abused by way of cops.

Former labourer Mr Sullivan was once pushed from jail in a blacked-out van closing night time a loose guy. 

He is in line for reimbursement from the Ministry of Justice, capped at £1 million.

Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he didn’t dedicate prior to his unlock in 2023, has mentioned £1 million was once ‘no longer sufficient’ to compensate such serious miscarriages of justice.

The Ministry of Justice mentioned: ‘Peter Sullivan suffered a grave miscarriage of justice, and our ideas are with him and the circle of relatives of Diane Sindall.

‘We will sparsely imagine this judgment, having a look at how this may have took place and ensuring each Mr Sullivan and Diane’s circle of relatives get the solutions they deserve.’