Murder case that wrongly jailed man for 38 years probed

A murder inquiry that resulted in one of the longest running miscarriages of justice in British history is being investigated by the independent police watchdog.

Peter Sullivan spent 38 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of killing florist Diane Sindall, 21, in Wirral, Merseyside, in 1986. He was freed when a DNA profile matching an unknown man was found on crime scene samples in 2023.

As a result of his claims, the force referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has now begun a full investigation.

The IOPC investigation is entirely separate to Merseyside Police's renewed investigation to find Diane Sindall's real killer.

The 21-year-old, who was also working part-time as a barmaid to save for her upcoming wedding, was ambushed and subjected to a frenzied sexual attack as she walked home from a shift at the Wellington Pub in Bebington.

Her partially clothed body was found by a dogwalker in an alley off Borough Road, Birkenhead, on 2 August 1986 - launching one of the biggest manhunts in Merseyside history.

Sullivan, now 68, was only freed when the DNA profile from an unknown man was found in 2023 in semen samples taken from the scene of the attack.

The results of the new tests were not disputed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and he was freed by the Court of Appeal in May 2025.

The IOPC watchdog contacted Merseyside Police in July 2025 to ask about the case, and were told the force had received no formal complaints and had not identified any potential misconduct by officers from the time of the original investigation.

However, in November, Sullivan gave his only media interview to the BBC and claimed he had been "stitched up" after his arrest, including being fed information to make his false confession sound plausible.

He said he was interviewed seven times without a solicitor present and was threatened with being charged with "35 other rapes" if he did not confess.

Sullivan said he was not provided with an appropriate adult to help him understand the interrogation, despite police custody records noting he had learning difficulties.

During his time in custody, he claimed he was beaten in his cell on two occasions by police officers.

"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 co-operate with them," he said.

"It really hurt, they were leathering me."

Based on those claims, the force got back in touch with the IOPC.

The IOPC said since receiving the referral from Merseyside Police it had contacted several agencies involved to see what records were available.

Its investigators have also spoken directly to Sullivan.

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: "Mr Sullivan was a victim of one of the worst miscarriages of justice this country has ever seen. Our thoughts are with him as he continues to rebuild his life.

"In light of the significant impact this has had, as well as the severity of some of the allegations contained in the complaint, it is important for these matters to be independently investigated."

Rowe said the fact the complaints related to an investigation from 40 years ago posed "substantial evidential challenges".

However, she said the IOPC would "do all we can to progress our inquiries as quickly as we can".

The new DNA profile that saw Sullivan released was not a match for anything stored on the national DNA database.

Detectives have also eliminated hundreds of men from their inquiries through voluntary DNA tests.

However, no new arrests have been made so far.