Why police will not say sorry to Peter Sullivan

Peter Sullivan has called for an apology from Merseyside Police

Merseyside Police have given an explanation as to why the force will not offer an official apology to wrongfully-convicted Peter Sullivan after he spent 38 years behind bars.

Mr Sullivan has accused the force of "bullying" him into making a false confession to the murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Wirral in 1986.

Now 68, he was freed by the Court of Appeal in May after fresh DNA testing pointed to another unknown man as the real killer.

Mr Sullivan told the BBC he "needed an apology" in order to move on, but Merseyside Police have said this would "not be appropriate" at this time.

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In his only media interview since his release, Mr Sullivan, who has learning difficulties, said he had been beaten with truncheons by officers on two occasions while in police custody.

He also claimed he was threatened with being charged with 35 rapes if he did not admit killing Miss Sindall, who was beaten to death in a frenzied sexual attack on Borough Road, Birkenhead, as she walked home from a bar shift at a pub.

Diane Sindall, 21, had been due to get married when she was killed

Mr Sullivan's solicitor Sarah Myatt told BBC Breakfast: "It matters extensively to him that they have not said the word 'sorry'.

"From a legal point of view if the police were to say we are sorry that would be an admission that they have done something wrong and that could then have future implications."

In response to her comments, the force said repeated its "regret" that there was a "grave miscarriage of justice in this case".

However, it pointed out that while Mr Sullivan had been freed due to the new DNA evidence, two other grounds of appeal brought in May had been rejected.

On that occasion, the court ruled the defence's arguments about the unreliability of his confessions and of bite mark evidence had been dealt with at the trial - and during an earlier appeal in 2021 - and did not constitute new evidence.

The force said in 2021 the appeal court had ruled the confessions did not involve "leading questions" or pressure, and that the bite-mark evidence was one part of a "multi-faceted" case.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said its own professional standards department conducted an initial review of the 1986 case in May and had made the IOPC referral, but no misconduct or complaint was identified and no further review was deemed necessary.

The force added: "However, following the allegations made by Mr Sullivan in his interview with the BBC the matter has again been referred to the IOPC by Chief Constable Rob Carden for consideration.

"Given the findings of the Appeal Court and the fact that we are waiting for confirmation from the IOPC it would be inappropriate for us to issue an apology at this time."

Mr Sullivan was arrested in September 1986 after witnesses had told police he had been seen in a pub near the scene of the murder.

Other witnesses reported seeing a man fitting his description in an area called Bidston Hill, where some of Miss Sindall's partially burned clothing was later found.

After his arrest he was denied access to a solicitor for the first seven of 22 interviews, and not granted access to an appropriate adult.

Merseyside Police had maintained its officers acted within the law at the time.

Mr Sullivan said: "I can't forgive them for what they've done to me because it's going to be there with me for the rest of my life."