Man Freed After Nearly 40 Years in Prison as London Court Overturns Murder Conviction Based on New DNA Evidence

Peter Sullivan, who spent almost 40 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, was acquitted by a London court on Tuesday after new DNA evidence cast serious doubt on his conviction, Arab News reported. Sullivan was originally sentenced to life imprisonment in 1987 for the 1986 murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Bebington, northwest England.

Sullivan’s case is considered the longest miscarriage of justice in the UK. He first challenged his conviction in 2008, questioning the DNA evidence, but forensic limitations at the time prevented further testing. In 2021, he applied again to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), highlighting concerns over police interviews, bite-mark evidence, and the alleged murder weapon.

The CCRC obtained DNA profiles from samples collected at the crime scene, which did not match Sullivan’s DNA. This breakthrough led to the Court of Appeal quashing his conviction. Merseyside Police reopened the investigation in 2023 and found no match for the DNA in the national database, pledging to continue efforts to identify the true perpetrator.

Sullivan’s lawyer called the acquittal “an unprecedented and historic moment.” Reading a statement from Sullivan, the lawyer quoted him saying, “The truth shall set you free… I am not angry, I am not bitter,” despite the decades lost behind bars. The case highlights advances in forensic science and the ongoing fight against wrongful convictions.