In what is considered one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in British history, Peter Sullivan spent over 38 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The conviction stemmed from the 1986 murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Birkenhead, a case that triggered the largest manhunt Merseyside had ever seen. Despite Sullivan's longstanding insistence of his innocence, it took decades for the truth to come to light.
Diane Sindall was a familiar face in her hometown of Seacombe, Wirral. Her family owned a popular floristry business, and she often drove a blue van to deliver flowers around town. In 1986, to save money for her upcoming wedding planned for the following year, she worked nights at the Wellington pub in Bebington, about five miles from her home. The night of August 1, 1986, was the last time anyone saw her alive.
Sindall left the Wellington around 11:45 PM to drive home. Unfortunately, her van ran out of petrol on Borough Road, a busy and well-lit main route in Birkenhead. She began walking, unaware of the horrors that awaited her. A taxi driver later reported to the BBC's Crimewatch that he saw a man and a woman arguing on Borough Road around 12:10 AM. He noted that they seemed familiar with each other but were definitely in a dispute. Between 12:30 and 2:00 AM, several individuals reported hearing screams, marking the time when Sindall likely encountered her attacker.
The next morning, a dog walker discovered Sindall's half-naked body in an alleyway off Borough Road. Court documents revealed the gruesome nature of the attack: she suffered a fractured skull, severe facial and bodily injuries, and ultimately died from a brain hemorrhage caused by multiple blows to the head. A pathologist described her injuries as the worst he had seen outside of a road traffic accident.
The murder sent shockwaves through the community, causing fear and anxiety, particularly among women. The attack's brutality led to widespread terror, with fathers, boyfriends, brothers, and husbands warning women to stay indoors unless accompanied. The murder also sparked the area's first Reclaim the Night march across the River Mersey, a movement advocating for women's safety, initially started in Leeds in 1977 during the Yorkshire Ripper's reign of terror.
Despite interviewing 3,000 people, the police struggled to find leads. The day after the murder, some of Sindall's clothes were discovered burning on Bidston Hill. Witnesses reported seeing a man named "Pete" near the scene, but failed to identify him in a lineup. It wasn't until further witness descriptions emerged after a Crimewatch reconstruction that the police circled back to Sullivan.
Arrested on September 23, Sullivan provided inconsistent accounts of his whereabouts on the night of the murder. Under intense pressure and without legal counsel—denied on the grounds it would hinder the investigation—Sullivan broke down and confessed to the crime. He later retracted his confession, but the damage was done. His trial in 1987 heavily relied on these confessions and dubious forensic evidence linking his dental impressions to bite marks on Sindall's body.
Sullivan was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. The media vilified him, dubbing him "the Beast of Birkenhead" and "the Mersey Ripper." Meanwhile, the real perpetrator remained at large.
Sullivan's case underwent an unsuccessful appeal in 2019, with criticisms raised about the police investigation and trial. Finally, new forensic testing of semen samples from the crime scene revealed a DNA profile that did not match Sullivan. This breakthrough prompted Merseyside Police to reopen the investigation in February and appeal to individuals identified in 1986 to voluntarily provide DNA samples to aid their inquiries.
Experts have since criticized the original investigation, particularly the handling of Sullivan's confessions. Psychologist Dr. Harry Wood highlighted Sullivan's limited intellectual capacity and suggestibility, factors that should have raised concerns about the validity of his statements. Similarly, dental expert Prof. Iain Pretty challenged the bite mark evidence that was pivotal in the trial.
Today, there is renewed concern that a murderer has evaded justice for nearly four decades. In Birkenhead, a small black granite memorial on Borough Road commemorates Diane Sindall, with fresh flowers and notes left by those who remember her. The plaque poignantly states