Peter Sullivan, now 68, has been released after serving 38 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, marking one of the UK's most significant miscarriages of justice. Convicted in 1987 for the 1986 murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Bebington, Merseyside, Sullivan was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years. Despite maintaining his innocence, he remained incarcerated for over two decades beyond his minimum term.

The breakthrough came when the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) re-examined the case and discovered that DNA evidence from the crime scene did not match Sullivan. This new evidence led the Court of Appeal to quash his conviction.

Sullivan appeared via video link from HMP Wakefield during the hearing and was visibly emotional upon hearing the verdict. In a statement read by his lawyer, Sullivan expressed no bitterness, saying, "What happened to me was very wrong but does not detract that what happened was a heinous and most terrible loss of life."

Merseyside Police have reopened the investigation into Sindall's murder, acknowledging that vital DNA evidence was not available during the original investigation. They are committed to finding the true perpetrator. Sullivan's case highlights the importance of continual review and the potential for new forensic technologies to rectify past judicial errors.