I Fought the Law: Where is Ann Ming now? And what she’s said about Sheridan Smith playing her?

Sheridan Smith stars as the ‘inspirational’ Ann Ming in ITV’s harrowing new drama I Fought the Law.

The mini-series follows Ann’s true-life endeavours to change the law for her late daughter Julie Hogg, who was brutally murdered aged 22.

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

But thanks to her tireless and dogged campaigning over 15 years, Ann finally saw Julie’s murderer William ‘Billy’ Dunlop put behind bars after she got the law changed in a landmark ruling.

Here, we look at who Ann Ming is and how she changed a law that had stood in time since the Magna Carta.

Who is Ann Ming from ITV’s I Fought the Law?

Ann Ming is a 79-year-old mother of three from Billingham in Stockton-upon-Tees. Together with her husband Charlie, she had a son called Gary and two daughters, Julie and Angela.

The family had relocated from Yorkshire to Stockton-upon-Tees shortly after Angela was born. This was so they could be close to Ann’s ailing mother.

Ann enjoyed a successful career as a hospital theatre nurse and later became a grandmother to Julie’s son, Kevin. But her world was turned upside down in 1989 when Julie vanished.

Ann’s story is at the centre of ITV’s new drama I Fought the Law. Sheridan Smith plays Ann in the mini-series.

What happened to Ann’s daughter Julie?

Julie had been working as a pizza delivery driver when she disappeared. She was 22 at the time and her son, Kevin, was three years old. Julie was estranged from her husband Andrew. His name in I Fought the Law has been changed to Matthew.

On November 15, 1989, Julie had worked a late shift and Kevin was staying overnight with Ann. But the following morning, Ann was unable to get hold of her. She visited Julie’s house but there was no answer at the door.

Forensic police combed the property for three days but there was no sign of Julie. She was declared a missing person.

But, three months later, police returned the front door keys to her estranged husband. After the central heating was turned on, he noticed a bad smell. Ann went upstairs to investigate and made a horrific discovery.

Speaking to Channel 5’s Incident Room: Body Behind The Bath, Ann said: “I’m going up the stairs to the bathroom, inside I’m screaming, ‘Please, God, don’t let it be Julie’. As I leaned over the bath to smell the wall, my knees went against the bath panel.”

Ann was faced with her worse fears as the smell wafted from behind the panel. It was coming from Julie’s body.

“I was absolutely hysterical,” Ann said. “I just ran downstairs to Andrew and said, ‘She’s under the bath, she’s under the bath’. That was the start of a living nightmare that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy.”

Julie had been strangled and sexually assaulted. Her body had been lying in a blanket underneath her bath for three months, despite police searching her house.

Ann’s fight begins

William ‘Billy’ Dunlop was soon arrested and charged with Julie’s murder. A local labourer, Dunlop lived two roads away from Julie and the pair knew of each other.

A court heard Dunlop had visited Julie’s house on the night she went missing. He was intoxicated and had been thrown out of a rugby club for making unwanted advances towards a stripper.

Dunlop had a fight with a man in the street before turning up at Julie’s door. He then brutally murdered her, sexually assaulted her and hid her body.

In 1991, Dunlop stood trial for Julie’s murder but the jury failed to reach a majority verdict. A re-trial took place in the same year and, again, the jury did not reach a majority. Dunlop was acquitted and free to go.

Seven years later, Dunlop was jailed for GBH (grievous bodily harm) after a brutal attack on a man and a woman. While in prison he began bragging that he’d killed Julie but was protected by the UK’s 800-year double jeopardy law. 

What is the double jeopardy law?

The double jeopardy law meant a person could not be tried twice for the same offence and, as he had been previously acquitted, Dunlop was protected. Dunlop even confessed to killing Julie to a police officer but he could only be convicted of perjury. He was sentence to another six years in prison.

Furious, Ann made it her mission to get the law overturned so Dunlop could be properly punished for what he did to her beloved Julie.

How did Ann Ming change the Double Jeopardy law?

Ann Ming began her campaign by contacting the then-Home Secretary, Jack Straw, outlining her severe dissatisfaction with the criminal justice system.

She told Channel 5’s Incident Room: “I wrote a letter to Jack Straw outlining our case and what had happened and we got to go and see him at the Home Office. When I went in, I had a picture of Julie and a picture of Dunlop that had been in the local paper.

“I said, ‘That’s our daughter and that’s the man who killed her. We’re not happy with the perjury sentence. It needs to be changed’.”

Also appearing on camera, Kevin Hogg, Julie’s now grown-up son, added: “I always recall her saying to me, ‘An 800-year-old law? It’s stupid. It’s not going to stop me’.”

And Ann was right. For 15 years, she campaigned to the Criminal Justice System, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Law Commission. She also met with top defence barristers, the Government, the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General, Jack Straw and his successor, David Blunkett.

Ann’s determination paid off and the law was overturned. Thanks to Ann, The Criminal Justice Act 2003 now allows defendants to stand trial for a second time, providing new and compelling evidence has emerged since their acquittal.

Ann was dealt more heartbreak in 2013 after her husband’s death (Credit: ITV)

‘Nobody is better than anybody else’

In 2006, on the 17th anniversary of Julie’s death, Billy Dunlop was sentenced to life in prison for her murder. He must serve a minimum of 17 years. Dunlop was the first person charged with a murder he had already been cleared of.

Ann was later awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the Criminal Justice System.

Ahead of I Fought the Law landing on ITV, Ann has reflected back on her tireless fight for her daughter Julie. Sadly, her husband Charlie – Julie’s father – died in hospital in 2013. He had been battling with Parkinson’s disease.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping, Ann said: “If you believe in yourself and know it’s the right thing that needs to be done, don’t be put off by somebody else. Nobody is better than anybody else.

“Don’t be frightened to stick up for what you want to do. Believe in yourself.”

Where is Ann Ming now?

Ann is still living in the North East of England. She has retired from campaigning now she is approaching 80, although believes the parole system needs an overhaul to stop killers from ever being moved to an open prison.

The widow, who nursed husband Charlie through his illness before he died, enjoys line-dancing classes. She is also still very close with her grandson Kevin. Now 39 and with his own son, Kevin works to help other victims of serious crime.

Ann said: “The thing that has changed for me is that I’m not frightened to die now, because I know Julie will be there waiting for me.”

Ann has spoke highly of Sheridan (Credit: ITV)

What has Ann said about Sheridan playing her?

Ann is portrayed by Sheridan Smith in the new ITV drama. Last month, the pair appeared on ITV’s This Morning, to talk about the show.

Ann revealed that she had snuck onto set twice to watch Sheridan play her. Ann said she was impressed with Sheridan’s portrayal, telling her it was like watching herself on screen.

“I came on set twice, and she didn’t know I was there. And I watched her, playing me, in one of the difficult scenes – when we told Kevin truth. It was like watching me,” Anne told Sheridan and viewers at home.

Sheridan was left stunned by the admission and started to tear up.

Meanwhile, talking to RTS recently, Ann shared that as soon as she found out Sheridan was involved in the show, she was persuaded to jump on board.

“They said they were going to ask Sheridan Smith. I thought, ‘Well, they couldn’t ask anyone better because I’ve watched everything she’s done’. She’s a brilliant actress because she’s got the ability to become the person she’s playing,” she said.

When is I Fought the Law on and where can you watch it?

I Fought the Law is a mini-series made up of four hour-long episodes. It airs on ITV1 and is available to stream for free on ITVX.

The series began at 9pm on Sunday, August 31.

Read more: I Fought The Law viewers call for Ann Ming to be awarded a knighthood

I Fought the Law continues tonight (September 8) at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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