Latest news with #SarahMyatt
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Peter Sullivan murder miscarriage of justice payout 'not enough'
An increase in compensation due to a man who spent 38 years in jail on a murder conviction that was recently overturned "does not go far enough", his lawyer has said. Peter Sullivan, 68, has been described as the victim of Britain's longest-running miscarriage of justice, having been jailed in 1987 for the brutal murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Birkenhead. The Ministry of Justice is to raise the amount paid to people wrongly jailed for more than a decade to £1.3m from £1m. But Mr Sullivan's lawyer Sarah Myatt said the increase was only half the rate of inflation since the £1m cap came in in 2008. Inflation since the cap's introduction in 2008 stands at 68%, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Ms Myatt said "[the increase is] a very small step forward", adding: "I don't think it's enough at all."The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the increase would create "a fairer and better justice system". 'No amount' Mr Sullivan was freed when his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in May, after new testing of preserved semen samples produced a DNA profile that pointed to another, unknown, Police has since re-opened its investigation into Miss Sindall's murder but the force said "unfortunately" searches of the national DNA database had not come up with any Myatt said Mr Sullivan had "lost 38 years of his life, nearly four decades of his life"."There is not any amount that would be able to compensate somebody for that."She said the amount victims are eligible for should be "sufficient to mean that somebody can then continue the rest of their life in utmost comfort".Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "Fairness is the ideal that underpins our justice system. Where it has failed to meet that ideal, victims of devastating miscarriages of justice must be able to rebuild their lives."This uplift will ensure victims are compensated for the crimes they did not commit and the years they cannot get back."Once eligible, the level of compensation will be decided by an independent Malkinson, 58, from Manchester, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape crime he did not commit, has described the proposed cap increase as "insulting". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Times
22-05-2025
- Times
Sarah Myatt, who acted for Peter Sullivan to quash his murder conviction
Sarah Myatt, a solicitor-advocate at the law firm Switalskis, represented Peter Sullivan as the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction for murdering a woman in 1986. Sullivan, who is now 68, had spent 38 years in prison before being freed because of fresh DNA evidence in what is thought to be the UK's longest miscarriage of justice case. How long it has taken to clear Peter's name. While Peter remained positive, it has been a long battle despite clear concerns, which was frustrating. For me, moving from mental health law to criminal law has been fascinating and invaluable. It's shown me how fragile the human mind can be and deepened my commitment to fairness and justice — especially for those with mental health challenges or
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
UK: DNA evidence clears man jailed for 38 years
Lawyer Sarah Myatt (AP) A British man who spent 38 years in prison for the 1986 murder of a barmaid had his conviction quashed on Tuesday by the UK Court of Appeal after new DNA evidence came to light. The 68-year-old Peter Sullivan is believed to be the UK's longest-serving victim of a miscarriage of justice after three judges overturned his conviction. Why was Sullivan convicted? Sullivan was arrested a month after 21-year-old Diane Sidwell was killed in August 1986 and found dead near the city of Liverpool in northwest England. He was convicted in 1987 based on a confession that he later retracted and bite mark evidence, which has since been discredited. Sullivan's repeated attempts over the years to appeal the conviction failed. However, his lawyers told the Court of Appeal that new evidence based on semen samples found on the victim's body showed the killer "was not the defendant." Lawyers for the Crown Prosecution Service, which brought the case, said the new DNA evidence meant there was "no credible basis on which the appeal can be opposed." They added the evidence was "sufficient fundamentally to cast doubt on the safety of the conviction." What was Sullivan's reaction? Sullivan appeared to weep as the judges overturned his sentence. He said in a statement read by his lawyer Sarah Myatt that, while his conviction was "very wrong," he was not angry. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Upto 15% Discount for Salaried Individuals ICICI Pru Life Insurance Plan Get Quote Undo "As God is my witness, it is said the truth shall take you free," Myatt read from the statement. "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." Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill said police were now appealing for more information in a renewed effort to solve the murder. DNA tests have also ruled out that Sindall's killer was a relative or her then-fiance. A statement from Merseyside Police , which initially investigated the crime, said: "We do not underestimate the impact of the conviction on Mr. Sullivan." "At the time of Diane's murder DNA testing was very much in its infancy and this vital evidence was not available to the original investigation team."
South China Morning Post
13-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
UK man jailed for 38 years weeps as court overturns his murder conviction
A man who spent nearly four decades in a British prison in the killing of a barmaid said he was not angry or bitter Tuesday as his murder conviction was overturned and he was released after being exonerated by DNA evidence. Advertisement Peter Sullivan put his hand over his mouth and wept as the Court of Appeal in London quashed his conviction and ordered his freedom after he had spent years fighting to prove his innocence. Sullivan, who watched the hearing by video from Wakefield prison in northern England, said through his lawyer that he was not resentful and was anxious to see his loved ones. 'As god is my witness, it is said the truth shall take you free,' lawyer Sarah Myatt read from a statement outside court. '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.' He was the longest-serving victim of a wrongful conviction in the UK, Myatt said. Lawyer Sarah Myatt speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday. Photo: PA via AP Sullivan, 68, was convicted in 1987 of killing Diane Sindall in Bebington, near Liverpool in northwest England. He was behind bars for 38 years.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- The Independent
Watch Peter Sullivan's first statement after 38 years in jail for crime he didn't commit
Peter Sullivan has said he is 'not angry' and 'not bitter' after his murder conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal. Mr Sullivan was aged 30 when he was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 16 years after being found guilty of the 1986 murder of 21-year-old Ms Sindall in Bebington, Merseyside. The now-68-year-old remained in prison for almost four decades as he previously attempted to overturn the conviction. In a statement read outside court on his behalf by his lawyer Sarah Myatt, Peter Sullivan described what happened to him as 'very wrong' but said the ruling did not 'detract or minimise' a 'heinous and most terrible loss of life'. Three senior judges quashed his conviction after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, following new DNA evidence.
