Overview
- Speaking publicly for the first time since his release, Sullivan says Merseyside officers bullied and beat him, deprived him of food and sleep, and threatened further charges until he confessed.
- He was interviewed 22 times in 1986, many without a lawyer or an appropriate adult despite documented learning difficulties, and he later retracted the confession when represented.
- His conviction for the 1986 murder of Diane Sindall was overturned after fresh DNA testing showed semen from the crime did not match him, leading to his release after 38 years.
- Merseyside Police expressed regret and the chief constable said he will refer the original investigation to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as the reopened murder inquiry continues with National Crime Agency support.
- The Crown Prosecution Service said the court accepted the new DNA evidence but rejected other appeal grounds, and Sullivan is seeking an apology and compensation that he says have not been provided.