Sarah Myatt, Solicitor Advocate and legal representative for Peter Sullivan, has spoken to Phil McCann at the BBC about the government’s proposed uplift in compensation for victims of miscarriages of justice. The original article can be found on the BBC’s website.

Peter Sullivan, who is now 68, was released on Tuesday, 13 May 2025, after spending 38 years in a category A prison for a murder he did not commit. His conviction for the 1987 killing of 21-year-old Diane Sindall in Birkenhead was quashed after new DNA evidence identified another, unknown male. He is now recognised as the longest-serving victim of wrongful imprisonment in British legal history, a record no one would want to hold.

The Ministry of Justice has announced plans to increase the cap on compensation for those wrongfully imprisoned for more than a decade, from £1 million to £1.3 million. However, the 30% increase fails to reflect the true loss experienced by those who have had decades of their lives taken from them.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has stated that the uplift is part of a commitment to fairness and helping victims rebuild their lives. While Sarah and the wider Switalskis crime team welcome the intention behind the move, she believes much more needs to be done.

Inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), has risen by 68% since the cap was last reviewed. This means the updated figure of £1.3 million still significantly undervalues the time lost by people like Mr Sullivan. Even if inflation was accounted for and the compensation cap was £1.68 million, would that serve justice?

Peter was inside a high-security prison for 38 years, and the only thing he could hold onto was knowing he didn’t kill Diane Sindall.

Before his conviction, the media nicknamed him ‘the beast of Birkenhead’; he lost loved ones because they believed he was a brutal killer and was ostracised from the close-knit community he’d grown up in. He missed watching family members grow up, birthdays, weddings and christenings. This loss was made evident by his family in the courtroom, who hung onto every word the judge said as he delivered his verdict in May. His niece in particular waited with bated breath to see if the uncle she’d lost as a child would finally be free. 

Adding further concern, it is reported that previous victims, like Andrew Malkinson, who was imprisoned for 17 years, have not yet had their full compensation. Malkinson was released from prison in 2023, and it wasn’t until February 2025 that he received any payment from the Miscarriage of Justice Compensation Scheme. However, the money he received in February was not the full amount; an independent assessor was still determining the full amount, and there is no guarantee that anyone will receive the full £1.3 million.

After spending decades in prison fighting for freedom, the last thing a miscarriage of justice victim needs is to spend years fighting for compensation. Upon leaving prison, people like Peter and Andrew often don’t have jobs to go to, they have no source of income and are reliant on any family or friends they have left, as well as charities and the local authority, to support them.

Often, they find themselves with no money and very limited resources and have to make the best of it. This isn’t a system designed for people to thrive in, so the lack of compensation and the time it takes to receive it only adds insult to injury.

Switalskis remains committed to seeking full and fair redress for those who have been wrongfully convicted and will continue to campaign for greater transparency, accountability and reform.

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