Ann Ming, a retired nurse from Billingham, County Durham, has called for the continued imprisonment of William “Billy” Dunlop, her daughter’s convicted killer, ahead of his upcoming parole hearing. Dunlop, who was found guilty of murdering Julie Hogg in 2006, is eligible for parole after serving a minimum term of 17 years.

Julie Hogg, a 22-year-old mother, was strangled and sexually assaulted in 1989. Her body was discovered by Ming beneath the bath in Hogg’s home some 80 days after she was killed. Dunlop had initially been tried twice in 1991, but was acquitted as juries failed to reach verdicts. However, following a landmark change to the double jeopardy law, he became the first person in British history to be retried and convicted for a crime after previously being cleared.

The change to the double jeopardy law, which had prevented a person from being retried for an offence once acquitted, was introduced as part of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and took effect in 2005. Since then, there have been 22 retrials under the new provisions, including high-profile cases such as the convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris for the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Ming spent 17 years campaigning for the reform that allowed Dunlop’s conviction. Speaking ahead of Dunlop’s parole hearing next month, she said the killer should never be released. “Dunlop should stay behind bars until the day he dies,” Ming said. “As long as I’m breathing, I’ll try to keep him in prison for public safety.” She described Dunlop’s claim that her campaign saved him from committing further violent crimes as “quite chilling” and questioned whether he had genuinely reformed.

Dunlop, now in his 60s, pleaded guilty to murder on September 11, 2006, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He has faced three parole reviews since then. Although the Parole Board recommended in 2025 that Dunlop be moved to an open prison, the decision was blocked by former justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, who cited public safety concerns.

Julie Hogg’s younger brother, Kevin Hogg, who was just three years old at the time of the murder and now co-directs Victimcare, a charity supporting victims of serious crime, has also expressed determination to oppose Dunlop’s release. “A life sentence isn’t a life sentence for the offender. It’s for the victims and the families,” he said.

The case and Ming’s campaign have drawn widespread attention, including through the ITV drama “I Fought the Law,” which stars Sheridan Smith as Ming and has been distributed to 15 countries. Ming hopes the story will encourage similar legal reforms worldwide, offering families affected by wrongful acquittals a chance for justice and closure. “It’s the difference between closure and non-closure, living in a state of limbo for the rest of your life,” she said.