“Evil” killer Billy Dunlop will today plead for his release from prison as his fourth parole hearing gets underway in London.
William Dunlop was jailed for life in 2006 after murdering his ex-girlfriend, 22-year-old mother and pizza delivery driver Julie Hogg, in Billingham in 1989.
Today (October 21), Dunlop will appear in front of the parole board in London where he is seeking a full release from prison. The hearing is expected to last two days.
The Northern Echo - which backed Ann in her campaign to overturn the law - will be attending the hearing in person and reporting live here.
Ann, now 80, and her grandson Kevin Hogg, 40, previously told the Echo how the prospect of his release was “terrifying” and branded the hearings “absolute torture”.
Ann Ming (Image: ANDY FUTERS)
Ann said she feels her family is the one “doing a life sentence”, adding: “Would you like him living next door to you? I wouldn't wish him to be next to anybody.”
Julie's disappearance in November 1989 was initially treated as a missing person inquiry until her body was tragically found stuffed behind a bath panel Ann 80 days later.
The young mother had been “subjected to a violent sexual assault” after she rejected Dunlop, a court previously heard.
Former labourer Dunlop was tried twice for the murder but was acquitted, and the double jeopardy law meant he could not be tried twice for the same offence.
He laughed at the law when he boasted to a prison officer that he had killed Julie while in jail for another offence, and was later done for perjury.
(Image: North News and Pictures)
But Ann’s determination saw her take her fight to the corridors of power in Westminster - and the law was abolished in 2005 under the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
Dunlop was jailed in 2006 for life with a minimum term of 15 years.
Today will mark the start of the killer's fourth parole hearing, where he will, for the first time, be seeking a direction for a full release.
Read more on Ann Ming:
'We are doing a life sentence' - Ann Ming and grandson on looming parole hearing
20 years since double jeopardy killer's confession that ended mum's fight for justice
Ann Ming on her fight for justice and tears when double jeopardy killer confessed
In the most recent parole hearing in 2024, Dunlop said he “hated” Ann, calling her “the bane of his life”, while also admitting that he “has a lot of respect” for her.
He even told the court that, if he hadn’t been jailed for life, people would have been in danger because he was an angry and violent man.
Despite this, the parole board recommended Dunlop be moved to an open prison - but the decision was blocked by then-Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.