I Fought the Law is based on the true-life murder of Julie Hogg and her mother’s fight to bring her killer William ‘Billy’ Dunlop to justice. 

The new “inspirational” four-part series is airing on ITV and sees Sheridan Smith take on the lead role of Ann Ming, Julie’s mother.

Julie’s killer managed to evade punishment for almost two decades due to an 800-year-old double jeopardy law.

The ‘inspirational’ drama will see how Ann worked tirelessly for 15 years and changed a law that had stood since the time of the Magna Carta.

Ann’s tenacious fight paid off, as it saw killer William ‘Billy’ Dunlop finally jailed for his horrific crime against her daughter.

But who is Billy Dunlop, how did he know Julie and where is he now? We take a deeper look into the real life case behind ITV’s I Fought the Law.

Who is William ‘Billy’ Dunlop?

William ‘Billy’ Dunlop is a former labourer from Billingham in Stockton-upon-Tees. He is 61 years old.

In 1989, Dunlop was 25 and living close to pizza delivery driver Julie Hogg. Julie, estranged from her husband Andrew, was 22 years old and had a three-year-old son called Kevin. Andrew’s name has been changed to Matthew in I Fought the Law.

Dunlop had a violent record dating back to his childhood. He even described himself as a “violent, hideous, uncaring person” years later during a parole hearing.

How did Dunlop know Julie Hogg?

Dunlop has been described as ‘an acquittance’ of Julie. In 1989, he was living two streets away from her marital home. Dunlop was also best friends with the son of Julie’s next door neighbour.

On the night of Julie’s murder, it was revealed in court that Dunlop had been thrown out of a rugby club. He had been drinking heavily at a stag party and made unwanted advances towards a stripper.

Once outside, Dunlop was said to have been involved in a fight in the street. Later, he noticed Julie’s lights were on and knocked on her door. Julie had just finished a late shift at the pizza shop and her son, Kevin, was with his grandparents, Ann and Charlie Ming.

Dunlop strangled and sexually assaulted Julie after she mocked his injuries sustained in the earlier fight. He wrapped her body in a blanket and hid it behind a bath panel.

What was the Double Jeopardy law that allowed Julie Hogg’s killer Billy Dunlop to avoid justice for so long?

Julie’s body lay undiscovered for three months, despite five forensic officers combing her house for three days. She was initially assumed as a missing person.

Horrifically, it was Julie’s mother Ann who found her underneath the bath. She made the awful discovery while investigating a pungent smell coming from the upstairs bathroom.

Initially, police brought Julie’s estranged husband Andrew in for questioning. But after 24 hours, he was released without charge.

Given his violent past, they turned their attentions to Dunlop. A search of his house revealed Julie’s front door keys under floorboards and a Billingham rugby top. The top had fibres on it that matched those from the blanket Julie had been wrapped in.

Dunlop denied any involvement in Julie’s murder but was charged. He first stood trial for the crime in 1991 but the jury failed to reach a majority verdict. A re-trial was ordered for the same year, but again the jury couldn’t reach a majority verdict.

As a result, Dunlop was acquitted.

Worse was to come, however. Seven years after he was acquitted, Dunlop was jailed for GBH (grievous bodily harm) after attacking a man and a woman. While inside, he confessed to murdering Julie. 

Dunlop knew he was protected from conviction under an 800-year-old double jeopardy law. The law meant a person could not be charged again with a crime they had already been acquitted of. Dunlop was said to have “bragged” about the murder and the fact he’d got away with it.

All Dunlop could be charged with was perjury, which is lying under oath. He was sentenced to just another six years.

What is I Fought the Law about?

I Fought the Law is a drama based on Ann Ming‘s real-life fight to change the UK’s double jeopardy law. The short series stars Sheridan Smith as Ann and follows her difficult journey to get justice for her daughter Julie.

For 15 years, Ann met with the Criminal Justice System, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Law Commission. She also campaigned to defence barristers, the Government, the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General and two Home Secretaries.

In a landmark ruling, Ann’s dogged fight paid off and the double jeopardy law was overturned. In 2006, Dunlop became the first person to be charged twice with the same crime.

Dunlop pleaded guilty to Julie’s murder and was jailed for life, with a minimum of 17 years.

Where is Julie Hogg’s killer Billy Dunlop now?

Dunlop is still in prison, serving his sentence for murdering Julie. The exact prison he is being detained in has not been made public.

In December 2024, Dunlop appeared at a parole hearing via video link in a bid to move to an open prison. For the first time since his conviction, he addressed Julie’s family.

According to the Independent, Dunlop told the hearing: “I was a violent, hideous person. I put the family through 10 years… through the rest of their lives. It also affects me. I was a car crash waiting to happen.”

Turning his attention to Ann and her campaign, he also said: “[Ann]was the bane of my life. I used to hate her. I won’t deny it. But who wouldn’t do [what she did]?

“I’ve now got a lot of time for her and [Julie’s son] Kevin. I have no malice towards them whatsoever.”

In April 2025, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood made the decision to “block” Dunlop’s move to open conditions.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said in a statement to the press: “Julie Hogg’s murder was a horrific crime and our thoughts remain with her friends and family. Public protection is our number one priority which is why we have blocked William Dunlop’s transfer to open prison.”

How to watch I Fought the Law

I Fought the Law will play out across four hour-long episodes. It will air on ITV1 and be available to stream for free on ITVX.

The series begins at 9pm on Sunday August 31, 2025, with the second episode following on Monday September 1, 2025.

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I Fought the Law will start on ITV1 and ITVX on August 31, 2025.