Where is William 'Billy' Dunlop now? I Fought the Law's real killer today

The final episode of I Fought the Law is set to air on ITV tonight (Monday 8th September).

The four part series, led by Sheridan Smith, tells the hearbreaking true story of a woman named Ann Ming, who fought for 17 years to overturn the double jeopardy law after her daughter, Julie Hogg, was murdered and a jury failed to reach a verdict on her killer, William "Billy" Dunlop.

In November 1989, Julie aged just 22, vanished after finishing her shift at a local pizza shop. Almost three months later, Ann made a devastating discovery while investigating a bad smell in her daughter's home in Billinham, County Durham - Julie’s body had been hidden behind the bath panel in her own home.

After two trials in May and October 1991, Dunlop was acquitted of murder, as juries could not reach a verdict. He later confessed to Julie's murder while in custody for another crime. However, the centuries-old double jeopardy law - which stated that someone couldn’t be tried again for the same crime, even if new evidence appeared - meant that he wasn't charged for murder but rather perjury (lying under oath).

Ann didn't give up though, and campaigned for years, writing to MPs and speaking. out publicly for herself and other families.

In 2003, the law was finally changed to allow retrials in serious cases if new and compelling evidence came to light. This allowed for a new trial for Dunlop and in 2006, he was convicted for Julie’s murder and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 17 years.

So, where is William 'Billy' Dunlop now?

As the four-part series comes to end, read on for everything you need to know.

William "Billy" Dunlop, was a local labourer who lived near Julie Hogg.

He had a long history of petty crime between 1975 and 1988, including prison time for dishonesty and assault. Known for his violent behaviour and heavy drinking throughout the 80s and 90s, many were too afraid to report him to police.

After Julie’s murder, Dunlop’s fingerprints were found on her keys, hidden under the floorboards of a house he had lived in. He was tried in the early 1990s, but the jury failed to reach a verdict, and he was released.

In 1998, Dunlop was jailed for assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her partner. While serving his sentence, he confessed to a prison officer that he had killed Julie. The officer later wore a wire, capturing Dunlop detailing how he concealed her body.

Despite this confession, Dunlop couldn’t be retried due to the centuries-old double jeopardy law, which prevented a second trial for the same crime. Instead, he was charged with perjury (lying under oath ) and sentenced to six years.

Yes, they knew each other briefly from the area.

Dunlop killed Julie after a messy evening at the Billingham rugby club, which saw him end up in hospital with an eye injury.

After being discharged from hospital, Dunlop visited Julie at her home. However, when she rejected, he became violent.

He violently sexually assaulted and strangled her to death before hiding her body behind the bath panel in her home.

While serving his life sentence, Dunlop confessed to a Parole Board panel that he had been a "violent" and "hideous" individual, driven by alcohol and anger when he murdered Julie.

Dunlop confessed that the murder of Julie was about "pride" and him being "humiliated in front of people".

In 2006, William Dunlop became the first person in the UK to be convicted of murder after previously being acquitted of the same crime, following a change in the double jeopardy law. He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey and was handed a minimum sentence of 17 years.

Dunlop has since applied for release. At a Parole Board hearing in December last year, he expressed remorse, describing himself as "a violent, hideous, uncaring person" and "a car crash waiting to happen." He admitted that Julie’s murder was driven by what he called "rejection-fuelled anger."

The Parole Board recommended Dunlop to be transferred to an ‘open prison’ in March 2025, however, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood blocked the transfer.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said at the time: "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."

Julie's family told the BBC that Ms Mahmood had "truly put victims at the heart of the system", adding that they were "elated" by this decision.

"The decision to refuse the parole board’s recommendation is the right decision for public safety," they said.

Dunlop remains in custody in closed conditions.

I Fought the Law airs on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday and Monday at 9pm.