Peter Sullivan conviction quashed after 38 years in jail.

Yes, a terrible story, the DNA evidence could only be analysed from the original sample quite recently apparently, it's not like fingerprints.

A follow-up story highlighted that the local population might look at itself in a mirror and feel guilty, apparently the actual murderer was widely rumoured at the time, but folk up there are tainted with the belief that helping the police in any way is a total no-no, so the relevant people have never 'named names'. And that's despite the 'Crimestoppers' phone line having been available for many years.

I remember Keith Laverack too. It seems that if you admit guilt and say sorry, you get out in double quick time, like Leslie Grantham, but if you are innocent and deny your conviction, you can stay in forever

Hard to believe that the real killer simply stopped after one apparently random murder… Let us hope that the police actually apply some intelligence to this cold case.

Thank goodness that at east is he won't have to pay Board and Lodge as was the norm until just a couple of years ago.

A man in a similar position spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. When he received his compensation (which is based on unemployment benefit - which of course he was as he was wrongfully in prison) the figure had £100,000 deducted for his 25-years of accommodation and food.

Quite unbelievable. But as I say that has now stopped.
.

I don't know the ins and outs of this, but it is now possible to gain results from far smaller traces of DNA than it was in the 1980s when DNA testing came in, and to retrieve DNA from surfaces it could not be retrieved from then. This might be why it was not used then.

I have too a vague feeling that Counsel for the Defence would have had to be aware it was a possiblity and to have requested DNA testing and added it to his bill then.

But that said, it is horrible to think of someone spending years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Appalling, too, to think that the unknown murderer may have continued murdering women since and never been caught!

Kloppqueen

On the night of the murder it was raining and, as a result, the DNA was diluted. At that time a sufficient DNA sample was not viable. Things have progressed so much in recent years, and as a result, a DNA analysis could finally be done. It should, however, have been done before it actually was. The wheels of justice are far too slow.

It is so tragic that Peter Sullivan has had to spend so long in prison. It is also very worrying that the actual culprit has not been caught. Let's hope this now changes. The police have apparently been taking DNA tests from various individuals that were possible persons of interest at the time of the murder. So far no one has been a match.

Finally for Diane's family this is awful. Imagine thinking the perpetrator was safely behind bars, only to find out that he wasn't? Devastating for them.

For the person asking why didn't his solicitors appeal? I assume they mean back when he was first found guilty. They would have had to have had sufficient grounds for such an appeal. Peter Sullivan saying he didn't do it, is not enough. They could not have used any DNA evidence back then, as alluded to above.

It's all just so sad.

He did not have legal representation when he was first questioned by police and he denied then confessed to the crime more than once, probably because he was frightened and overwhelmed. Dental experts claimed that bite marks matched his teeth.
It all seems rather flimsy evidence.

DNA evidence in the solving of crimes was in its infancy then.

No amount of money could recompense this man for the stolen life he may have had outside of prison. But it seems from what I've read that he is just grateful to be out at last. I can't imagine the frustration I'd feel if I had been in his position.

On the night of the murder it was raining and, as a result, the DNA was diluted. At that time a sufficient DNA sample was not viable. Things have progressed so much in recent years, and as a result, a DNA analysis could finally be done. It should, however, have been done before it actually was. The wheels of justice are far too slow.

It is so tragic that Peter Sullivan has had to spend so long in prison. It is also very worrying that the actual culprit has not been caught. Let's hope this now changes. The police have apparently been taking DNA tests from various individuals that were possible persons of interest at the time of the murder. So far no one has been a match.

Finally for Diane's family this is awful. Imagine thinking the perpetrator was safely behind bars, only to find out that he wasn't? Devastating for them.

For the person asking why didn't his solicitors appeal? I assume they mean back when he was first found guilty. They would have had to have had sufficient grounds for such an appeal. Peter Sullivan saying he didn't do it, is not enough. They could not have used any DNA evidence back then, as alluded to above.

It's all just so sad.

Colls

J52

Thank goodness we no longer have the Death Penalty. So shocking. I wonder how many others have been wrongly imprisoned.

Yes!

I agree and, in all likelihood, no-one would have pursued the case to establish his innocence.

J52

Thank goodness we no longer have the Death Penalty. So shocking. I wonder how many others have been wrongly imprisoned.

Yes!

Absolutely horrendous. I cannot imagine how you begin to try to compensate someone for the loss of a normal adult life. However, the sums offered never even come close to doing so. Despite this huge injustice, we will still have people advocating that the death penalty should be brought back. Shame on them.

Mt61

Wyllow3

I think the emphasis is partly on the "poor" in poor man. If he had been wealthy with lawyers there could have been demands for DNA evidence.

but we could do something about what is happening now - read these headlines from the Independent

"Exonerated Peter Sullivan faces two-year wait for compensation after spending 38 years in jail

The pensioner could receive a maximum of £1million – which equates to just £26,315 for each year he was wrongly jailed – in a compensation scheme which is ‘not fit for purpose’, a lawyer has warned

Don’t they take money off that for board & lodgings?

No

I just can't imagine how dreadful it would be to be absolutely innocent and still be charged with a crime!
Poor Peter Sullivan.
The compensation money cannot bring back precious moments lost with his family, can it? 😒

Of course I agree ,no amount of money can compensate for such a dreadful miscarriage of justice. However whatever the amount it's better than not having it !

40 years ago, my 36 yo brother was told he didn’t have cancer, when his in fact, he did. Cancer was by then in his lungs, had to have his arm amputated at the shoulder. When his friends said’ you’ll get at least £1.000.000 compensation (a lot of money in 1984 ) he asked which one of his healthy friends would have their arm amputated for a million pounds. Not one. You can’t compensate for 38 missed years, marriage, children, grandchildren, pensions, holidays, experiences, hope. Why didn’t his solicitor lodge an appeal?

Wyllow3

I think the emphasis is partly on the "poor" in poor man. If he had been wealthy with lawyers there could have been demands for DNA evidence.

but we could do something about what is happening now - read these headlines from the Independent

"Exonerated Peter Sullivan faces two-year wait for compensation after spending 38 years in jail

The pensioner could receive a maximum of £1million – which equates to just £26,315 for each year he was wrongly jailed – in a compensation scheme which is ‘not fit for purpose’, a lawyer has warned

Don’t they take money off that for board & lodgings?

The guilty man has been at large for all these years too.

Cossy

Awful for Peter Sullivan, awful for the murdered persons family and it means the actual perpetrator is still at large.

Why on earth did they not take advantage of DNA?

DNA techniques have advanced tremendously since those early days. Perhaps the DNA was insufficient or perhaps degraded too far to give a profile in those days but tests are far more more sophisticated and comprehensive now.

I agree it was another shocking miscarriage of justice.

I recently read that when compensation was paid to wrongly convicted people money was deducted for board and food.

In the case of Paul Blackburn who served 25 years this amounted to £100,000.

I only hope that Lucy Letby is not allowed to rot in jail for years before her case is reviewed and the evidence is properly evaluated so that it is finally established whether she is guilty as charged or not.

A retired prison officer rang in to a radio pro today who had worked with Peter Sullivan in prison. He was asked what he was like and he said he was joyful. Always joyful, liked playing practical jokes and not a nasty bone in his body.

I do hope he gets plenty of compensation and can enjoy the rest of his life.

I'm so very pleased that Peter Sullivan has finally been released
What a sad & shocking case.
I looked at his mugshot picture and wanted to cry, he looks so bemused, scared & frightened. Poor man & his poor family. Heartbreaking.
I wish him & his family all the best & hope he can know peace, joy, love & happyness at long-last. 😔

I think the emphasis is partly on the "poor" in poor man. If he had been wealthy with lawyers there could have been demands for DNA evidence.

but we could do something about what is happening now - read these headlines from the Independent

"Exonerated Peter Sullivan faces two-year wait for compensation after spending 38 years in jail

The pensioner could receive a maximum of £1million – which equates to just £26,315 for each year he was wrongly jailed – in a compensation scheme which is ‘not fit for purpose’, a lawyer has warned

He was an ‘easy collar’ for the police, another disgraceful performance from them.

Poor man. No amount of money will compensate him for the life he’s lost while incarcerated for a heinous crime he didn’t commit.

I was shocked at the length of sentence he’s served so far. But then I read elsewhere that he would have been released many years ago if he’d admitted guilt.

Chocolatelovinggran

This is a terrible story. Thank goodness he has been released, but why so long- DNA testing has been available for many years.

I think a lot of people are now questioning the CCRC , that poor man could have been released a number of years ago but they didn't follow up on the DNA evidence review.