Sheridan Smith Brings Real-Life Heroine’s Fight for Justice to Screen
Have you heard about the new ITV drama I Fought the Law ? It’s the incredible story of Ann Ming, a mother whose 22-year-old daughter, Julie Hogg, was brutally murdered in 1989, and whose relentless fight for justice changed British law forever. Sheridan Smith stars as Ann, and the series has already left audiences deeply moved.
Julie Hogg was strangled at her home in Billingham, County Durham, by William “Billy” Dunlop, a man with a history of domestic abuse. Shockingly, despite boasting about the crime later, he initially escaped conviction because two juries failed to reach a verdict and the double jeopardy law prevented him from being retried. But Ann Ming wasn’t about to let that stand.
For 17 years, Ann campaigned tirelessly to overturn the law that protected killers like Dunlop. Her fight was emotional, exhausting, and at times deeply painful. Scenes in the drama show her desperate wait for news about her daughter, culminating in the horrific discovery of Julie’s body hidden beneath a bath. “There were cries all the way through it,” Ann admitted after watching the series. Sheridan Smith captured this pain with astonishing authenticity, describing her experience as “being inside Ann’s head” while filming.
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Sheridan, who is known for roles in Cilla , Benidorm , and Gavin & Stacey , called portraying Ann “an honor.” She researched extensively, reading news articles and Ann’s book, For the Love of Julie , to understand the depth of her fight. “I was emotionally attached as soon as I knew Ann’s story,” Sheridan said. She even admitted feeling starstruck meeting Ann in person, whose courage inspired her performance.
The drama doesn’t shy away from the legal battle, showing Ann taking on police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and even addressing the House of Lords to push for a change in the law. Her campaign eventually succeeded in 2005 when the double jeopardy law was reformed, allowing someone to be retried if compelling new evidence, like a confession, emerged. Dunlop was sentenced under the new law in 2006.
Throughout filming, the bond between Sheridan and Ann was evident. They hugged frequently, and Sheridan described watching Ann’s strength as awe-inspiring. The series also portrays the toll the ordeal took on Ann’s family, particularly her late husband and her grandchildren, emphasizing that the effects of tragedy ripple through generations.
For Ann, seeing her story told in a television drama is important—not just to honor Julie, but to show that systemic injustices can be challenged. Sheridan reflected on this, saying, “I just wanted to try and feel even that much of what you went through… to get your story out there.”
I Fought the Law airs on 31 August and promises to be a moving tribute to a mother’s courage, a daughter’s memory, and a landmark legal battle that changed the course of justice in the UK.
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