UK: Wrongfully imprisoned for 38 years but still must prove innocence to receive compensation

According to a reporter in the UK, the court in this country has overturned the murder sentence for Mr. Peter Sullivan, who had been imprisoned for 38 years in what is considered the longest wrongful conviction in the history of this country.

A sketch of Peter Sullivan in court. (Source: AOL.com)

Peter Sullivan was just 30 when he was sentenced to life in prison for murder in Bebington, Merseyside, North West England in 1986.

Victim Diane Sindall, 21, was sexually assaulted and brutally murdered on her way home from work.

After 38 years in prison, the Court of Appeals overturned the conviction on May 12 after tests showed that his DNA was not present in samples kept at the crime scene.

Last November, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), Britain's body that investigates wrongful convictions, referred Mr Sullivan's case back to the Court of Appeal after retesting of samples taken at the time of the murder showed that DNA in semen samples left at the scene of the crime did not match Sullivan's.

Mr. Sullivan appealed the sentence three times.

Setting aside the conviction, Judge Holroyde said the court had no doubt that accepting the new DNA evidence was necessary and in the interests of justice.

Mr Sullivan appeared emotional as he received the decision to overturn his sentence via video link from Wakefield prison, which houses some of the most dangerous criminals.

In a statement through his attorney, Sullivan said he was not “angry” or “bitter,” saying what happened to him was wrong but that it did not change the fact that the case was a devastating and terrible loss of life.

During his 1987 trial, Mr Sullivan was accused of having been heavily drinking after losing a darts match and carrying a crowbar before he came across Sindall.

Sullivan initially denied the attack but later signed a confession, which he later retracted. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 16 years and has never been released.

Despite being wrongfully imprisoned for 38 years, Sullivan still has to prove his innocence beyond a reasonable doubt to receive compensation from the government . This is a major hurdle for many wrongly convicted people, according to lawyers.

Even for those whose claims are accepted, compensation is capped at a maximum of £1 million (more than $1.3 million).

In Mr Sullivan's case, this equates to just over £26,300 for each year of wrongful imprisonment./.

According to VNA

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/anh-ngoi-tu-oan-38-nam-nhung-van-phai-chung-minh-vo-toi-moi-duoc-boi-thuong-248713.htm