
The Beast of Birkenhead: 5. Unknown Male One
From Crime Next Door by BBC Sounds
May 18, 2026 · 28 min · Season 12 · Episode 6
About this episode
The episode discusses the appeal of Peter Sullivan and the implications of new DNA evidence in an unsolved murder case.
Recorded on the day of Peter Sullivan’s appeal as judges consider DNA evidence unavailable in 1987. As the new evidence points to an unknown male, decades-old evidence crumbles under scrutiny. The court delivers its decision leaving one devastating truth intact: Diane’s killer has not been found. Presenter: Olivia Graham. Producers: Kate Bissell, Gemma Maull and Olivia Graham. Sound Design and Music Composition: Phil Channell. Mixing: Ivan Eastley. Story Consultants: Neil McCarthy, Jack Kibble-White and Kirsty Williams. Online Producer: Rachael Smith. Development was by BBC Audio Scotland and BBC Merseyside. Executive Editors: Gillian Wheelan and Ben Anderson. Commissioning Editor: Alistair Miskin. There’s graphic descriptions of violence in this series. For details of help and support in the UK, visit bbc.co.uk/actionline.
People in this episode
Host: Olivia Graham
Topics covered
- DNA evidence
- true crime
- court appeal
- unsolved murder
- violence
- justice system
Keywords
- Peter Sullivan
- Diane
- DNA evidence
- court decision
- unsolved murder
- true crime
- violence
- justice
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: BBC Audio Scotland, BBC Merseyside
More episodes of Crime Next Door
- The Beast of Birkenhead: 8. Whispers · June 8, 2026 · 24 min
- The Beast of Birkenhead: 7. The Profiler · June 1, 2026 · 28 min
- The Beast of Birkenhead: 6. Back In Birkenhead · May 25, 2026 · 26 min
- The Beast of Birkenhead: 4. The Wrong Fella · May 11, 2026 · 25 min
- The Beast of Birkenhead: 3. Because She Was A Woman · May 4, 2026 · 40 min
- The Beast of Birkenhead: 2. Woman in Yellow · April 27, 2026 · 44 min
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