A British man who spent nearly four decades in prison for the murder of a woman had his conviction quashed after new DNA evidence emerged, making him the UK’s longest-serving victim of a miscarriage of justice.
A British man who spent nearly four decades in prison for the murder of a Diane Sidwell has had his conviction quashed after new DNA evidence emerged. The Court of Appeal overturned Peter Sullivan‘s conviction, making him the UK’s longest-serving victim of a miscarriage of justice.
In August 1986, 21-year-old ‘was found dead near Liverpool in northwest England‘ . Sullivan, then a 47-year-old British man, was arrested a month later. He was convicted in 1987 based on a confession that he later retracted, as well as bite mark evidence, which has since been discredited.
Sullivan‘s repeated attempts to appeal his conviction failed, but new DNA evidence from semen samples found on the victim’s body showed that the killer ‘was not the defendant’ . The Crown Prosecution Service acknowledged that the new evidence cast doubt on the safety of Sullivan‘s conviction, making it ‘sufficient fundamentally’ to justify overturning the conviction.
Sullivan appeared tearful as the judges quashed his sentence. In a statement read by his lawyer Sarah Myatt, he said that while his conviction was ‘very wrong,’ he was not angry. The police have now renewed their efforts to solve the murder, appealing for more information from the public.
DNA tests have also ruled out that Sindall‘s killer was a relative or her then-fiance. A statement from Merseyside Police acknowledged the impact of Sullivan‘s conviction on him and expressed regret that vital evidence was not available at the time of the original investigation.
The overturning of Sullivan‘s conviction highlights the importance of new forensic technology in solving crimes. The case demonstrates how advances in DNA testing can lead to the correction of miscarriages of justice, providing hope for families affected by such injustices.
DNA evidence is a crucial tool in forensic science, used to identify individuals and solve crimes.
It involves analyzing genetic material found at crime scenes or on victims' bodies.
This analysis can reveal an individual's genetic profile, including their ancestry and other identifying characteristics.
According to the National Institute of Justice, DNA evidence has led to the conviction of over 300,000 felons in the United States alone.
Its accuracy and reliability have made it a cornerstone of modern forensic investigation.
