Sheridan Smith's latest role is set to be an emotional showstopper in ITV’s new four-part drama series, I Fought the Law. The actress – known for her standout roles in Mrs Biggs, The Royle Family, Gavin & Stacey, and Cilla, and soon to appear in BBC's thriller The Cage – delivers one of her rawest performances yet. The true story follows Anne Ming (played by Sheridan) and her 15-year fight to seek justice for her daughter’s murder, as well as her mission to overturn the double jeopardy rule. Sheridan formed a special bond with the real-life woman she played, and this nail-biting drama tells a powerful story of one woman’s determination.
Involving the families of murder victims in the TV production can be a risk. However, this incredible story has been handled with great sensitivity by the cast and screenwriter Jamie Crichton. Ann Ming, the mother of Julie, acted as a consultant on the production and met Sheridan during the filming process. The actress described Ann as her ''hero'' and told Good Housekeeping: ''I Fought the Law is probably the hardest job I've ever done, partly because I wanted to do Ann Ming's story justice. She's a little firecracker of a woman who took on the establishment and won. She's my hero.''
Read on to learn more about the true story behind the new hard-hitting ITV drama…
What is the story behind I Fought the Law?
Based on Ann Ming's book For the Love of Julie, the script tells the true story of how Ann and her family coped with the tragic disappearance of Julie, who went missing in Billingham, Cleveland, in November 1989 after working a late shift at a pizza parlour. Julie's parents, Ann and Charlie, were looking after her three-year-old son Kevin on the night she went missing. It wasn't until the next morning – when Julie failed to appear in court to apply for a legal separation from her husband – that they suspected something was wrong.
An investigation into Julie's disappearance began, and police searched her home in Billingham, but despite highly trained forensic officers inspecting the property, nothing suspicious was found. Tragically, in January 1990, Julie's body was discovered in her terraced house – 80 days after she had gone missing. She was just 22 years old. Her body had been hidden behind a bath panel by her killer. Despite earlier, extensive police searches, it had gone undetected. Following the discovery, Ann was deeply dissatisfied with the Cleveland Constabulary and their handling of the case. She applied pressure on the police and challenged senior officers in her relentless pursuit of justice.
What is the double jeopardy law?
To explain in context: at the time of Julie's death, the man responsible was already known to the police and was the prime suspect. However, two trials failed to convict him, as the juries could not reach a verdict. He was acquitted.
In 1997, the same man was jailed for attacking another young woman. While in prison, he boasted about killing Julie, and his confession was recorded. Yet due to the double jeopardy law – an 800-year-old principle that prevented someone from being tried twice for the same crime – he could not be prosecuted again for her murder. Instead, he was only charged with perjury and received a six-year sentence for lying under oath. This injustice prompted Ann Ming to launch a campaign to change the law, allowing retrials in cases where new evidence, such as DNA, emerged.
How did Ann change the law?
In 2005, 15 years after Julie's body was found, Ann succeeded in getting the double jeopardy law overturned through her tireless campaigning. The following year, in 2006, Julie’s killer was finally sentenced to life in prison for her murder. The amendment to the law has since had a wider impact, contributing to convictions in other high-profile cases, including that of two of the men who murdered Stephen Lawrence.
Ann was later awarded an MBE for her services to the criminal justice system and continues to speak at police training conferences. However, the emotional toll on the family remains. Speaking to the BBC in 2024, Ann said: ''We as a family are doing a life sentence. We are living and breathing what he did until the day I die.”
Julie’s killer is currently being held in a high-security prison.
Where can I watch I Fought the Law?
I Fought the Law is streaming on ITV on Sundays, with subsequent episodes airing on Mondays and Sundays across two weeks. The full four-part series is also available to watch on ITVX.