Double jeopardy murderer Billy Dunlop to face public parole hearing

A murderer whose conviction for the killing of his ex-girlfriend made legal history is set to face a public parole hearing.

William 'Billy' Dunlop is serving a life sentence for strangling 22-year-old mother Julie Hogg, in Billingham, County Durham, in 1989.

The now 60-year-old was the first person to be re-tried for the same offence owing to a change in the double jeopardy law.

The Parole Board has now confirmed the latest hearing will be held in public, though no date has been set.

Caroline Corby, chair of the Parole Board for England and Wales, cited the case's legal history, public interest and seriousness of Dunlop's crime in her ruling.

She added: "The victims feel that they have been let down in the past by the criminal justice system and they believe that a public hearing would be beneficial to them."

Dunlop did not support the application for the hearing to take place in public, making reference to stress and anxiety while also raising concerns about the risk to his safety.

However, Ms Corby concluded "the interests of justice outweigh the points raised on Mr Dunlop’s behalf".

What happened to Julie Hogg?

Ms Hogg’s disappearance in November 1989 was initially treated as a missing person inquiry until she was found by her mother 80 days later.

The body of the mother, who had a three-year-old son, was discovered decomposing behind a bath panel.

Dunlop twice stood trial but each time a jury failed to reach a verdict.

He was formally cleared but in 1999, while serving a sentence for a different offence, confessed to the murder and admitted lying in court, boasting there was nothing anyone could do about it.

He was jailed in 2000 for six years for perjury. Ms Hogg's family campaigned for years for the double jeopardy law to be changed.

The new law came into force, allowing Dunlop to be tried again, and in 2006 he received a life sentence with a tariff of 17 years less time spent on remand.

His tariff expired in September.

The family have asked for privacy at this distressing time.

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