Playing real people is a privilege - a mother's fight for justice

Sheridan Smith discusses fighting for justice and the love of a mother in her new real-life drama series I Fought The Law.

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On November 16, 1989, Julie Hogg, a 22-year-old mother-of-one, was strangled by William Dunlop, who then hid her body behind a bath panel, where it remained undiscovered for more than two months.

Dunlop, known as Billy, was tried twice for the murder, but both juries failed to reach a verdict.

Three years later, while in jail for another crime, he confessed and admitted to lying in court, boasting that there was nothing anyone could do because of the double jeopardy rule in place at the time.

Julie's mother, Ann Ming, campaigned for 15 years to get the 800-year-old law changed so that Dunlop could be charged for the same crime twice. In 2006, he became the first person to be tried under the new rules. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Almost 36 years after Julie's murder, a new four-part drama series titled I Fought the Law tells the story of Ming's relentless pursuit of justice. The series stars BAFTA-winning actor Sheridan Smith as Ming and is based on her memoir, For the Love of Julie.