‘Beast of Birkenhead' moniker came after murder that shocked community
Peter Sullivan was dubbed the 'Beast of Birkenhead' after the murder of Diane Sindall sent shockwaves through a community.
Mr Sullivan, who spent 38 years in prison, was jailed in 1987 for killing the 21-year-old.
Miss Sindall, a florist who was working part-time as a barmaid while she saved up for her wedding, was raped and brutally murdered as she walked along Borough Road in Birkenhead, Wirral, in the early hours of August 2 1986.
Mr Sullivan was convicted of her murder the following year and bite marks found on her body, used as part of the case against him, led to him being called the 'Beast of Birkenhead', the 'Wolfman' and the 'Mersey Ripper'.
Speaking outside court after his conviction was quashed, Mr Sullivan's sister Kim Smith said: 'Peter was called so many different names and that all needs to be squashed now because Peter was never anything of what he was being called in the first place.'
The murder became a 'catalyst for action' for women, who set up Wirral Rape Crisis Counselling Service in its aftermath, which still operates today as Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside.
According to the service, it was after Miss Sindall's death that it was decided 'enough was enough'.
The charity said: 'With local women angry at the nature of Diane's death and how easily it could have been prevented, a change in attitude and the very first 'Reclaim the Night' march in Liverpool presented the perfect opportunity to strike.
Police said Miss Sindall suffered extensive injuries in the attack, with her cause of death established as a cerebral haemorrhage following multiple blows.
The high-profile crime was featured on Crimewatch in the weeks after her murder.
On Tuesday, Merseyside Police found itself again appealing for help to find the man who killed her.
Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill said: 'Diane's murder sent shockwaves through Birkenhead when it happened and I would appeal to anyone who lived in the area at the time, and has any information which could help us with our inquiries, to come forward.'
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Holroyde said a decision by the CCRC in 2008 that scientific techniques at the time would not yield a DNA profile was 'plainly correct'. He said: 'The brutal attack which ended Miss Sindall's young life also blighted the lives of her fiance, her family and all those who loved her. We offer our condolences to the bereaved.' James Burley, who led the investigation by the charity Appeal into the case of Andrew Malkinson, said: 'Peter Sullivan's exoneration today after nearly four decades of wrongful imprisonment provides further evidence that our current appeals system cannot be trusted to swiftly identify and rectify miscarriages of justice. 'Between them, Peter Sullivan, Andrew Malkinson and Victor Nealon spent over 70 years wrongly imprisoned before finally being exonerated by compelling DNA evidence. Each had their cases previously rejected by both the court of appeal and the CCRC – the institutions which are meant to act as our justice system's safety net. The case for an urgent overhaul of the appeals system is now overwhelming.' His comments were echoed by Prof Rebecca Helm, who runs the miscarriages of justice registry at the University of Exeter law school. 'The case underscores the importance of having a mechanism through which convictions based on evidence that is known to be misleading (including weak or incorrectly described forensic science) can be scrutinised even in the absence of 'new' evidence in order to protect others who have been wrongfully convicted, and to ensure that true perpetrators are brought to justice,' she said. The prime minister's spokesperson called it a 'grave miscarriage of justice' and said: 'We must carefully consider this judgment and look at how this could have happened, to get both him [Sullivan] and Diane's family the answers they deserve.'
