A book and a film are certain to follow the conviction of a brutal murderer who 17 years strangled a 22-year-old woman. Twice a jury failed to convict him and the labourer was acquitted.
But it was the gritty determination of the
woman’s broken-hearted mother to see justice done – forcing a change in the double jeopardy law – that led to Billy Dunlop finally being jailed for life. It was the first double jeopardy conviction in the UK for 800 years.
Dunlop had later boasted about his killing in jail while serving time for assault, but the law then did not permit him to be re-tried for the murder.
Ann Ming could not sit by and do nothing. She had discovered her daughter’s body behind a bath panel months after police had failed to find it. It was an indescribable shock which shattered the lives of her family forever.
She campaigned for the change in law, she even had to petition the House of Lords, but nothing was too daunting for her.
I hope her courageousness will be marked in some way, she should be awarded some recognition, but I suspect seeing her daughter’s killer jailed for life was “reward” enough. I wonder how many other similar trials will follow.
Love and a desire for justice is the most powerful force, Ann Ming is certainly my Woman of the Year.
Hear, hear. More amazing than her determination was the bungling by the police. I saw some quotes yesterday from the murdered woman’s son, who was three when she died. “I can never understand how the police failed to catch my mother’s killer and put him in prison,” and, heartbreakingly, “I don’t really remember my mother, all I have now is a few photographs.”
Desperately sad.
I remember reading about this story; Ann Ming deserves this honour for what she has achieved.
It will be interesting to see if this guy eventually serves his seventeen years. If the past is any guide, and let’s pray it ian’t, we could have had a dozen New Labour Home Secretaries before the end of this period.
Goodness knows if there will be any prisons left at all by then.
Yes, what a courageous woman. I, too, hope that this despicable man serves the full sentence.
I don’t think 17 years is long enough, it should be at least 25. In cases like this where a killer lied on oath, not once but twice, and slipped through the net by being devious and cunning, causing years of extra anguish for the dead woman’s family, it is the least he should face.
… and you’re mine for the types of issues like this you bring to light.
I think this type of ruling needs to be repealed where its still stands. With the modern age of DNA, States here are looking at removing the double jeopardy laws.
[…] It’s a great shame that the USA does not have the same double jeopardy laws that we now have, I’m pretty sure an ace legal team could come up with a convincing case. Simpson was lucky during his trial to have a clever lawyer who played the race card with a jury made up largely of ethnic minorities. They would see through that now. […]