The Social Media Murders: Story of Leicestershire woman Alice Ruggles comes to ITVX

A new documentary exploring the story behind a Leicestershire woman who was stalked and murdered by her ex-boyfriend is coming to ITVX.

Alice Ruggles was killed by her Trimaan Dhillon, who bombarded her with messages and threatened her safety.

The case will now feature in a new ITV series called "The Social Media Murders" later this month, which will delve deep into facts around what happened.

Alice Ruggles' story is episode four of the series and will be available on ITVX on March 9.

A statement on the ITV website reads: "The four films in this second season put the victim at the centre of the narrative alongside social media messages and videos.

"Episode four is entitled The Murder of Alice Ruggles. 

"This is the chilling story of how a young woman was brutally killed by a calculating ex-boyfriend, who used social media and the internet to stalk and torment his victim, before taking her life in her Newcastle home.

"With previously unseen social media correspondence between Alice and her friends, family and the perpetrator the documentary explores how cyberstalking eventually led to murder."

Here at ITV News we have pulled together everything we know about the case ahead of the episode being released.

Who is Alice Ruggles?

Alice Ruggles was a former pupil at Leicester High School for Girls from Tur Langton, near Market Harborough.

She was found in the shower at her home on October 12, 2016.

She was murdered by her jealous ex-boyfriend after he camped outside her Gateshead home.

He broke in through her bedroom window and cut her throat.

Who is Trimaan Dhillon?

Dhillon, a Lance Corporal at the time who trained with the Special Reconnaissance Service, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 22 years following a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Dhillon did not react when a jury at Newcastle Crown Court convicted him of murder.

They took less than two hours to dismiss his story that she had accidentally stabbed herself while lunging at him.

After the trial, Gateshead Council conducted a domestic homicide review (DHR) which made 20 recommendations for local authorities, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence to act upon.

What happened next?

Since Ms Ruggles' death her family and friends have set up the Alice Ruggles Trust.

Dr Sue Hills, Ms Ruggles' mother said back in 2017: "Two days before Alice died, my daughter said to me- Mum, I think he's going to kill me.

"And I just thought, this doesn't happen, but it does happen and when we look back at some of things that he said and did and told Alice to do, those are just classic signs of stalking.

"Every time we wake up in the morning, there's a few seconds where everything seems normal and then suddenly you think, oh, Alice is dead and it's really hard.

"I don't think there's been a day since Alice died that I haven't cried."