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Considering he who's sacrificed nearly 40 years of his life because of a crime he was innocent of, Peter Sullivan maintains a remarkably hopeful tone.

When I met him last month, for what was his initial media appearance since being liberated from prison in May, he was upbeat and excited about getting to Anfield to watch Liverpool play for the first time since he was detained in 1986.

That was the year of the violent killing of Diane Sindall in his home town of Birkenhead - an occurrence he said he was merely aware of because someone turned to him in a pub at the time and said, "reportedly there's been a murder".

When he was sentenced the following year at Liverpool Crown Court - he was destined to a lifetime in some of Britain's most secure category A prisons where he would be tormented by his tabloid nicknames "The Wirral Predator", "The Mersey Ripper" and "The Wolfman".

Adapting to a Modern World

Before our interview, he was rich with anecdotes about how since his release he has had to acclimate to a completely different world.

When he was taken into custody, Margaret Thatcher was in Downing Street, no one had heard of the internet and Europe was still divided by the Iron Curtain.

He described watching the demolition of the Berlin Wall from a communal television in prison.

Mr Sullivan described how trips to the shops now show how "society has evolved" - from trying to understand how self-checkouts operate to realising that "rather than having a cheque book, you've got it on your phone".

Digital Adjustments

His confinement means he has been ignorant of the way so many facets of everyday life have changed - similar to someone who has been asleep since the 1980s.

"Having endured so long in prison and learning there's no DHSS [Department of Health and Social Security, now the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)] where you can collect your money - you're thinking, 'Wow, what's going on here?'"

He now has a digital phone, after learning doctor's appointments need to be scheduled on something he now knows is called an 'app'.

He first became acquainted with them when he was traveling on a bus shortly after his freedom and saw people operating smartphones. He only understood they were phones when he saw someone put one to their ear.

Emotional Effects

Mr Sullivan's 14,000 days in confinement have also led to an predictable sense of system dependency.

He remembered how after his freedom, one morning in his flat he went back to his bedroom and sat down on his bed, because he was subconsciously waiting for a prison officer to come and lock him back into his cell.

"You've got to be at your door at a specific hour, otherwise the officers will go off at you", he said.

"I remained thinking, 'What am I doing?'"

Demanding Answers

But Mr Sullivan's positivity is balanced by a desire for answers about how he was charged with an high-profile murder that he was innocent of, and a bewilderment about why he still has not had an admission of error.

"I've lost everything", he said.

"I lost all my freedom, I lost my mother since I've been in prison, I've lost my father.

"It pains me because I wasn't there for them", he said.

"It's impossible to continue with my life if I can't get an answer off them."

"The sole thing I need, an apology [and to understand] the reason why they've done this to me", he said.

Police Statement

Merseyside Police said "limited value to be gained for a review of this matter today" because of "the changes to investigative techniques and progress in the law over the last 40 years".

The force did forward some of Mr Sullivan's accusations to the police oversight body, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), who will now investigate his claims that officers physically abused him and warned to link him to other crimes if he refused to admit to Diane Sindall's murder.

When asked if it would issue an apology, the force did not specifically respond the question, but as part of a detailed response it said: "The force recognizes that there has been a significant injustice of justice in this case".

Looking Ahead

Mr Sullivan explained about his basic aspiration - an ambition that he said he had given up of being able to realise at some points over his nearly four decades behind bars.

"The sole objective to do now is proceed with my own life and move forward as I was before, and experience freedom now".

His prospects may be made easier by government compensation, paid to victims of judicial errors.

This system is limited at £1.3m, a maximum which it is estimated his eventual payout will get very approach.

But the system is not guaranteed, and it is protracted.

Andrew Malkinson, whose conviction for a rape he was innocent of was overturned in 2023, was only given an provisional award earlier this year.

Admitted offenders who admit to their crimes and are released get a accommodation and some support regarding living expenses. Mr Sullivan, as an exonerated person, is not eligible for that help.

And so he is living a basic lifestyle, with his humble goals - although many believe he is a future wealthy man.

His lawyer, Sarah Myatt, said "no sum that you could say that would be sufficient for forfeiting 38 years of your life".