Latest news with #SarahMyatt
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.
Toronto Sun
13-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
British man who spent 38 years in prison 'not angry' as murder conviction overturned
Published May 13, 2025 • 2 minute read Kim Smith, sister of Peter Sullivan, with lawyer Sarah Myatt, left, speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, in London, Tuesday May 13, 2025. Photo by Ben Whitley / PA via AP LONDON — 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 because of newly available DNA evidence. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Peter Sullivan put his hand over his mouth and appeared to become emotional as the Court of Appeal in London ordered his conviction quashed after years of attempts to clear his name. He is the longest-serving victim of a wrongful conviction in the U.K., attorney Sarah Myatt said outside court. Sullivan, who watched the hearing by video from Wakefield prison in northern England, said in a statement 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,' 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.' Sullivan, 68, was convicted in 1987 of killing Diane Sindall in Bebington, near Liverpool in northwest England. He spent 38 years behind bars. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sindall, 21, a florist who was engaged to be married, was returning home from a part-time job at a pub on a Friday night in August 1986 when her van ran out of fuel, police said. She was last seen walking along the road after midnight. Her body was found about 12 hours later in an alley. She had been sexually assaulted and badly beaten. Sexual fluid found on Sindall's body could not be scientifically analyzed until recently. A test in 2024 revealed it wasn't Sullivan, defense attorney Jason Pitter said. 'The prosecution case is that it was one person. It was one person who carried out a sexual assault on the victim,' Pitter said. 'The evidence here is now that one person was not the defendant.' Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson did not challenge the appeal and said that if the DNA evidence had been available at the time of the investigation it was inconceivable that Sullivan would have been prosecuted. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Merseyside Police said it reopened the investigation as the appeal was underway and was 'committed to doing everything' to find the killer. The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which examines possible wrongful convictions, had declined to refer Sullivan's case to the appeals court in 2008, and the court turned away his appeal in 2019. But the CCRC took up the case again when the new DNA evidence was available. 'In the light of that evidence, it is impossible to regard the appellant's conviction as safe,' Justice Timothy Holroyde said. Sullivan's sister, Kim Smith, reflected outside the court on the toll the case had taken on two families. 'We lost Peter for 39 years and at the end of the day it's not just us,' Smith said. 'Peter hasn't won and neither has the Sindall family. They've lost their daughter, they are not going to get her back. We've got Peter back and now we've got to try and build a life around him again.' Toronto Maple Leafs Editorials Ontario Sunshine Girls Canada
