The 68-year-old was found guilty of the murder of florist and pub worker Diane Sindall in 1987.
It was the culmination of years of attempts by Mr Sullivan, who maintained his innocence, to appeal against his conviction.
He is believed to be the UK’s longest-serving victim of a miscarriage of justice.
Peter Sullivan appeared to put his hand to his mouth and weep as his conviction was quashed (Photo: Julia Quenzler/SWNS)On Friday 1 August 1986 – the last night Diane Sindall was seen alive – he was alleged to have spent the day drinking after losing a darts match.
What happened to Diane Sindall?
The 21-year-old, from Seacombe, had left work at 11.45pm in her blue Fiat van but on her way home the vehicle ran out of petrol in Borough Road. She got out of the van, grabbed her jerry can and walked towards the nearest petrol station.
But she never made it home.
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Her injuries included a fractured skull, lacerations and severe bruising. The cause of death was established as a cerebral haemorrhage following multiple blows.
Witnesses had reported seeing a small fire on Sunday, 3 August at the location where the property was foundand said they saw a man running from the scene who they recognised as “Pete”.
A BBC Crimewatch reconstruction of the crime saw more witnesses come forward claiming they saw a man fitting Mr Sullivan’s description at the scene of the fire.
Diane Sindall was murdered in August 1986 (Photo: Merseyside Police/PA)
During initial police questioning, Mr Sullivan then 29, is reported in court documents to have broken down in tears and “confessed ” to the murder.
On 25 September, he was given access to a solicitor and retracted his confession.
He was found guilty of Ms Sindall’s murder in November that year, dubbed the “Beast of Birkenhead” and the “Mersey Ripper”, and sentenced to life in prison.
Why has Peter Sullivan’s conviction been quashed after 38 years?
In 2008, he applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) questioning DNA evidence. Experts from the Forensic Science Service (FSS) advised at that time that any further testing would be very unlikely to produce a DNA profile, and the case was not referred to the Court of Appeal.
In 2019, Mr Sullivan sought leave to appeal directly without CCRC involvement. This was rejected by the Court of Appeal in 2021. The court determined the bitemark evidence, on grounds of which he was appealing against his conviction, was not central to the prosecution at trial.
Peter Sullivan at a court hearing in March this year (Photo: Julia Quenzler/SWNS)
Mr Sullivan applied to the CCRC once again in March 2021, raising concerns about his interviews by the police, bitemark evidence presented in his trial, and what was said to be the murder weapon.
As a result, a DNA profile was obtained which did not match that of Mr Sullivan, and so the CCRC sent Mr Sullivan’s conviction back to the Court of Appeal.
And on 13 May this year, the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction.
“In the light of that evidence, it is impossible to regard the appellant’s conviction as safe,” he added.
Lord Justice Holroyde during the hearing at the Court of Appeal, London (Photo: PA Video/PA)What did Peter Sullivan say after the court hearing?
“I did not commit murder or unlawfully take the life of any person throughout the span of my own.
“It is unfortunate that it does not give a timescale as we advance towards resolving the wrongs done to me, I am not angry, I am not bitter.
“I am simply anxious to return to my loved ones and family as I’ve got to make the most of what is left of the existence I am granted in this world.”
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