This case stands out in British legal history as the first case heard after the 800 year old Double Jeopardy Law was scrapped in England & Wales, though not in Scotland. The case was brought after years of tireless campaigning by the parents of victim Julie Hogg, with backing from top legal experts, to retry William Dunlop for the murder of their daughter. Julie, from Billingham in Teeside, went missing in 1989. She was later found, bundled under a bath by her mother, and the immediate suspect was a former boyfriend, Billy Hogg. He was later arrested and charged with her murder, but despite two trials, both resulted in deadlocked juries, and he was formally acquitted in 1991. Julie`s parents believed completely that Hogg was responsible, and started to campaign for a change to one of the oldest laws in this country. Meanwhile, Hogg ended up in prison on another charge, and whilst in there, he confessed to a prison officer that he did murder Julie but thought he was safe due to Double Jeopardy. The officer reported the conversation.
Talk of the law being changed was first mooted by Lord MacPherson, after the debacle of the Stephen Lawrence murder, and eventually it was changed in 2005, but new evidence had to be presented. In this case, it was what Hogg told the prison officer. In September 2006, he was put on trial for a third time, but now pleaded guilty to killing Julie and was subsequently jailed for life. If this change is so wrong, then the scumbags at Liberty should tell this to the faces of Mr & Mrs Hogg, and of course Mr & Mrs Lawrence, but we know they will never have the guts to do that.
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