Police 'doing everything in their power' to find Diane Sindall's killer
The man jailed for her murder has had his conviction quashed
Merseyside Police are vowing to do everything in their power to find the man who killed Diane Sindall in 1986, after the man jailed for her murder in Birkenhead had his conviction quashed.
The Court of Appeal ruled Peter Sullivan's conviction as unsafe, due to the emergence of DNA evidence linking the crime to someone else.
The 68-year-old was jailed 38 years ago for Diane's murder, but after challenging his conviction, a review found that DNA recovered at the scene was not his.
There is no match for that DNA on the national database, and police have enlisted specialist skills from the National Crime Agency to try and identify him.
Detective Chief Superintendent Karen Jaundrill said:
"To date more than 260 men have been screened and eliminated from the investigation which was reopened in 2023. The investigation team has obtained most of the samples locally, however, screening has also taken place in Swansea, Perth, London, Hull and Newcastle with the provision of voluntary DNA elimination samples.
“At the time of her murder Diane and her fiancé were saving up to get married and she had a part-time job working behind the bar at the Wellington public house in Bebington.
"Diane was seen by several witnesses walking along Borough Road"
“On the night of Friday, 1 August 1986, Diane had been working at the pub. She had left work at 11.45pm in her blue Fiat van, but on her way home the van ran out of petrol on Borough Road. Diane got out of the van and was seen by several witnesses at the time walking along Borough Road between midnight and 12.20am on the Saturday morning.
“Twelve hours later on 2 August Diane’s body was discovered by a member of the public in an alleyway off Borough Road. Diane had been sexually assaulted and brutally murdered.
“She had suffered extensive injuries to her body. Her cause of death was established as a cerebral haemorrhage following multiple blows.
"Diane's murder sent shockwaves through Birkenhead"
“On 17 August 1986 property belonging to Diane was recovered on Bidston Hill. The investigation team at the time subsequently identified witnesses who had seen a small fire, at the location where the property was found, on Sunday, 3 August, and had witnessed a man running from the scene.
“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.
"We believe there are people who have suspicions"
“We believe there are people who have information, or suspicions, about the murder of Diane in 1986 and I would appeal to those people to come forward, as the information they have could be key to finding who the DNA belongs to.
“You may have been in the area of Borough Road on the night of the murder and may have seen someone acting suspiciously.
“If you were in the area, or had concerns about an individual at the time, let us know so our team can trace and request a DNA sample from the person you suspect, or a relative of theirs if they have perhaps passed away, or they have emigrated to another country."