Peter Sullivan: I’ll carry burden of wrongful imprisonment until apology given

A man who spent 38 years in jail after he was wrongfully convicted of murder has said: “I’ve got to carry that burden until I can get an apology.”

Peter Sullivan, 68, who to date has spent more of his life in prison than free, finally had his name cleared in May after decades protesting his innocence.

Crucial DNA evidence was finally unearthed due to scientific advances last year, showing that it was another unknown man who raped and murdered 21-year-old Diane Sindall in 1986.

His parents died while he was in prison and Mr Sullivan told BBC North West “it hurts because I wasn’t there for them”, adding that he has not yet been able to “set” himself to visit his mother’s grave.

He requested an apology for those responsible for the miscarriage of justice, including Merseyside Police, in his first interview since his release.

Reacting to the conversation, Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Rob Carden repeated the force’s “regret”.

Mr Sullivan also said he is willing to support Ms Sindall’s family in court if her killer is found.

In an undisclosed location, with his face hidden to protect his privacy, he told the BBC: “I feel sorry for (Ms Sindall’s family), I really do feel sorry for them 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.

“I don’t know what to say to them, I am really sorry for what’s happened to their daughter, and if they need – if they want – my support when they go to court with the guy, when they find him, I will go to court with them, I will be there by their side 100%, because I will be there for them.”

Mr Sullivan was aged 30 when he was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years in 1987, but he remained in prison for almost four decades.

The murder happened when Ms Sindall was walking through Birkenhead in the early hours of August 2 1986.

Mr Sullivan told the BBC: “I can’t forgive them for what they’ve done to me because it’s going to be there with me for the rest of my life – I’ve got to carry that burden until I can get an apology on what happened from everyone else who’s been involved with the case.

“That’s all I want is an apology with the reason why they done this to me … from Merseyside police and everyone else – 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.

“I have never been able to set myself to go and see my mum’s grave, and I can’t … carry on with my life if I can’t get an answer out of them, that is what I need the most, is an answer from them, and that’s all I care about, that answer – why they done it to me.”

His solicitor Sarah Myatt told the BBC’s Today programme that “the brave, humble man” is “slowly reintegrating into society, rebuilding his life”.

“Of course, that’s going to be a long process for him and this will stay with him forever”, she added.

Asked why she first believed Mr Sullivan, before continuing to work with him for more than 20 years, she said: “He had received a life sentence, and he knew that he could work towards an application at the parole board by accepting responsibility for the offence – doing the relevant coursework and working towards releasing that way – and he was just adamant that he would never accept responsibility because he just hadn’t committed the offence.

“And he knew that that would lead to him potentially staying in prison longer but he never wavered with that.”

His team are supporting his pursuit for an apology from the force, as well as compensation more widely, she added.

However, the latter is “not an easy process or a quick process” and has to be done “in a very regimented way”, said Ms Wyatt, from Switalskis Solicitors.

Mr Carden, who took on his job at Merseyside Police earlier this year, said: “It was a grave miscarriage of justice and obviously as chief constable of Merseyside it doesn’t matter how long I’ve been there, I deeply regret the detrimental impact on Mr Sullivan’s life.”

He will refer the original investigation into Ms Sindall’s murder to watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

He said the investigation into her murder continues, supported by the National Crime Agency.