14 May 2025
Peter Sullivan has had his conviction quashed, after serving 38 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
Sullivan was found guilty in 1987 for the 1986 murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall.
In 2008, Sullivan applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), questioning DNA evidence. In 2019, he sought leave to appeal directly to the Court of Appeal. Both attempts were rejected.
In 2021, he applied to the CCRC again with concerns about his police interviews and bitemark evidence. This time, the CCRC obtained DNA samples taken at the time of the offence, which proved Sullivan’s innocence.
A CCRC spokesperson expressed ‘regret’ but said the scientific techniques relied on were not available at the time of Sullivan’s first application.
Switalskis solicitor Sarah Myatt, representing Sullivan, said: ‘This is an unprecedented and historic moment.’
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