Double Jeopardy killer Billy Dunlop's brag solved Julie Hogg murder 17 years on

29 November 2023 , 19:45

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Dunlop believed he would get away with his crimes (Image: North News and Pictures)

For 17 long years, the unsolved murder of single mother Julie Hogg left her loved ones in a state of 'limbo', but everything finally came to light after killer Billy Dunlop bragged about his crimes behind bars, believing he'd gotten away with his crimes.

As detailed in the new Channel 5 documentary The Incident Room, pizza delivery woman Julie, of Billingham, Stockton on Tees, vanished in November 1989, with her disappearance initially treated as a missing person's case. Although 29 police reportedly searched her home extensively, they couldn't find any trace of the 22-year-old.

Julie's mother Ann Ming found her decomposing, mutilated body shoved behind a bath panel in her home, 80 days after her disappearance. It was determined that mum-of-one Julie had been strangled and subjected to 'violent sexual assault'.

Julie vanished in November 1989 (PA)

Dunlop was acquitted, leaving Julie's family in 'limbo' (North News and Pictures)

As reported by The Sun in 2019, Ann stated that the traumatising discovery of Julie's body 'verges on the indescribable', adding: "To this day, I can still smell the putrefied smell which was our daughter. As a family, we are damaged beyond repair and will never be the same again as Julie will never return home. The love we feel for Julie means it is we who are serving the life sentence."

Ann suffered from PTSD following the discovery and also had to console Julie's devastated son Kevin, who was just three years old at the time and wouldn't stop crying for his mother. An investigation was opened up, and a set of Julie's keys was found beneath the floorboards of a property where ex-boyfriend Dunlop had been staying, covered with his fingerprints.

Double killer who slit girlfriend's throat within weeks of release jailed

In 1991, labourer Dunlop, who had a history of violent assaults, was tried twice at Newcastle Crown Court for her murder. On both occasions, however, the jury failed to reach a verdict, resulting in the second trial judge ordering that Dunlop should be formally acquitted.

Recalling the verdict in a 2023 interview with The Sun, published ahead of the documentary's release, Ann said: "We were left in a state of limbo. We had no closure. We felt very let down. He was bragging in pubs about how he'd killed our daughter and got away with the perfect murder. I was incensed."

Ann campaigned tirelessly for the law to be changed

In 1997, eight years after Julie's death, Dunlop was sentenced to seven years in prison after stabbing another ex-girlfriend and beating her new partner using a baseball bat. Despite being behind bars, Dunlop persisted in threatening his former girlfriend, even detailing in a letter how he would do to her what he had done to Julie once he got out.

Even though police were shown this letter, there wasn't much they could do, on account of 800-year-old legislation known as the double jeopardy law. In accordance with this law, a person who has been acquitted by a jury cannot be tried again on the same charge, even if fresh evidence has been brought forward.

After bragging about strangling Julie to a female police officer, who was wearing a wire at the time, Dunlop was convicted of perjury and handed a six-year sentence. By this point, Ann was at breaking point and, after writing to her MP, managed to meet with then-home secretary Jack Straw, who gave her the address of a Law Commission judge.

The Commission recommended an amendment to the law, which would allow people to be tried again if 'new and ­compelling' evidence was presented. After being approved, the amendment was passed to the House of Lords, where Ann gave a speech. She later recalled: "As I stood up, I thought of Julie, and all the mothers like me in the future who otherwise might not get justice."

Just a few weeks later, the bill was passed. As it could be applied retrospectively, Dunlop was tried again, and, in May 2006, the Court of Appeal quashed his acquittal. That October, 17 years after Julie's murder, Dunlop, then 43, was finally found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey, where he was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years. Ann said: "To hear the judge say Dunlop was guilty was unbelievable."

Following Ann's successful campaign, the new legislation has been used to secure 13 convictions, including the killers of Stephen Lawrence.

You can catch the first episode of Channel 5's The Incident Room at 8pm, on November 29

Julia Banim