When Ann Ming’s daughter Julie didn’t come home one night in 1989, no one could have predicted that her mother’s grief would eventually rewrite a legal principle that had stood for eight centuries. Ann Ming’s 17-year campaign overturned the double jeopardy rule in England and Wales, allowing her daughter’s killer to be retried and convicted.
Age: 79 (as of 2025) ·
Campaign focus: Double jeopardy law reform (England & Wales) ·
Law change year: 2005 ·
Daughter murdered: Julie Hogg, 1989 ·
Killer convicted: Billy Dunlop, 2006 ·
Honour: MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire)
Quick snapshot
- Ann Ming campaigned to change the double jeopardy law after her daughter’s murder (Wikipedia)
- Julie Hogg was murdered in 1989 (BBC)
- Billy Dunlop was convicted in 2006 under the new law (The Northern Echo)
- The Criminal Justice Act 2003 created the exception for serious crimes (Wikipedia)
- Ann Ming received an MBE in 2006 (BBC News)
- Exact date of Ann Ming’s birth (not publicly confirmed) (Wikipedia)
- Current status of Billy Dunlop’s parole (ongoing legal process) (BBC News)
- Campaign duration (15 vs 17 years, depending on start point) (TV Guide)
- Circumstances of Charlie Ming’s death (Cosmopolitan UK)
- Full list of politicians Ann Ming met during the campaign (not publicly documented) (The Methodist Church)
- 2006: Billy Dunlop convicted under the new double jeopardy law – first such conviction in England and Wales (The Northern Echo)
Nine key facts about Ann Ming and her campaign reveal the scale of her achievement: from a mother’s loss to a change in centuries-old law.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ann Ming MBE |
| Born | c. 1946 |
| Hometown | Billingham, Teesside, England |
| Daughter | Julie Hogg (murdered 1989) |
| Killer | William ‘Billy’ Dunlop |
| Campaign outcome | Criminal Justice Act 2003, Section 75 (double jeopardy repeal) |
| Killer convicted | 2006 |
| Honour | MBE (2006) |
| Drama adaptation | ‘I Fought the Law’ (ITV, 2025), starring Sheridan Smith |
Is Ann Ming a true story?
The real Ann Ming joined Sheridan Smith on set to help bring her story to screen
The ITV drama I Fought the Law is based on real events. Ann Ming herself served as a consultant on the production, meeting with star Sheridan Smith to ensure accuracy (TV Guide (entertainment listings)). The film dramatises her 17-year campaign to change the double jeopardy rule after the murder of her daughter Julie Hogg. Smith called Ming “an extraordinary woman” (YouTube (ITV promotional interview)).
Ann Ming’s personal involvement in the drama means the film is not just a story about her – it’s a story told with her, giving viewers an authentic window into a campaign that changed English law.
The implication: for anyone watching I Fought the Law, the events on screen are grounded in the real-life persistence of a bereaved mother who refused to accept the legal status quo.
What happened to Ann Ming’s daughter?
Julie Hogg murder (1989)
Julie Hogg, a 22-year-old mother, was murdered in her home in Billingham, Teesside, in November 1989. She was strangled and sexually assaulted (BBC (documentary)). Her body was hidden behind a bath panel in the house she shared with her mother and grandmother. It remained undiscovered for 80 days until a neighbour noticed a smell.
Killer Billy Dunlop
Billy Dunlop, a local man, was arrested and tried for the murder. In 1991, a jury failed to convict him, and he walked free (BBC (documentary)). At the time, the double jeopardy rule prevented him from being tried again, no matter what new evidence emerged.
The pattern: a single legal principle – that a person could not be tried twice for the same crime – allowed a killer to escape justice despite widespread belief in his guilt.
Who is William Dunlop and where is he now?
Billy Dunlop—the double jeopardy killer
William “Billy” Dunlop was the first person in England and Wales to be convicted of murder after the double jeopardy law was changed. In 2006, he was retried and found guilty of Julie Hogg’s murder based on new evidence, including a confession (The Northern Echo (regional newspaper)). He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years.
Current location and parole status
As of 2025, Dunlop remains in prison but has become eligible for parole. Ann Ming met the justice secretary in 2025 to oppose his release (BBC News (national broadcaster)). The Parole Board continues to review his case. The outcome is not yet known.
The same law that allowed Dunlop to be convicted also gives him a chance at parole – a twist that Ann Ming now finds herself fighting against.
The trade-off: Ann Ming’s campaign succeeded in closing a loophole, but the system she helped reform now puts her back in the position of seeking justice a second time.
Is Ann Ming’s husband still alive?
Charlie Ming—Ann’s first husband
Charlie Ming, Julie’s father, supported Ann throughout the early years of the campaign but has since died. The exact circumstances of his death are not publicly known (Cosmopolitan UK (lifestyle magazine)).
Ann’s current partner
Ann Ming now lives with a partner in a village near Stockton, County Durham. She continues to speak publicly about the case and the ongoing parole battle (BBC News (national broadcaster)).
The implication: Ann Ming’s personal life has been shaped by loss – first of her daughter, then of her husband – but she has built a new life while continuing her advocacy.
Where is Ann Ming now?
Current residence
Ann Ming lives in a quiet village near Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, away from the media spotlight but still engaged with the justice system (BBC News (national broadcaster)).
Campaign work
She continues to campaign, focusing on parole reform and victims’ rights. In 2025, she met with the justice secretary to argue that Billy Dunlop should not be released (BBC News (national broadcaster)).
Meeting justice secretary (2025)
This meeting marked a new chapter in Ann Ming’s journey: from campaigner for a law change to campaigner for its fair application. The outcome of the parole hearing will determine whether her fight continues.
Ann Ming’s 2025 meeting with the justice secretary signals that the debate over double jeopardy does not end with a conviction – it extends to how the system handles the aftermath.
For Ann Ming, the consequence is clear: she must now ensure that the system she helped change does not release her daughter’s killer early. For the Parole Board, the decision on Billy Dunlop’s freedom will be a test of whether the reformed double jeopardy law truly delivers justice.
Timeline of Ann Ming’s campaign
- : Julie Hogg murdered in Billingham. Body hidden behind bath panel. (BBC)
- : Billy Dunlop acquitted of murder due to lack of evidence. (BBC)
- : Ann Ming begins campaign to change the double jeopardy law. (Cosmopolitan UK)
- : Criminal Justice Act passes, allowing retrial after acquittal in serious cases if new evidence emerges. (Wikipedia)
- : Law takes effect. Ann Ming’s campaign succeeds. (BBC News)
- : Billy Dunlop convicted of Julie Hogg’s murder. Sentenced to life. Ann Ming awarded MBE. (The Northern Echo)
- : Ann Ming meets justice secretary to oppose Dunlop’s parole. ITV drama I Fought the Law airs. (BBC News)
Confirmed facts
- Ann Ming’s daughter Julie Hogg was murdered in 1989 (BBC)
- Billy Dunlop was initially acquitted, then convicted in 2006 (The Northern Echo)
- The double jeopardy law in England and Wales was changed in 2005 (BBC News)
- Ann Ming received an MBE in 2006 (BBC News)
- Sheridan Smith stars as Ann Ming in ‘I Fought the Law’ (ITV 2025) (TV Guide)
What’s unclear
- Exact date of Ann Ming’s birth (Wikipedia)
- Current status of Billy Dunlop’s parole (ongoing) (BBC News)
- Campaign duration (15 vs 17 years)
Additional sources
Related stories
Edward Davies BennettStaff WriterEdward Davies Bennett is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Insight Britain, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.
