All ‘double jeopardy’ killer William Dunlop’s determined bids for freedom revealed

A ‘double jeopardy’ murderer who was jailed for brutally killing a pizza delivery girl after a change in the law has made another bid to become a free man – despite a flurry of previous attempts.

William Dunlop strangled Julie Hogg, 22, and hid her body beneath a bath at her home in Billingham, County Durham, in 1989.

He went to trial twice in 1991 but both juries failed to reach a verdict.. He was later caged for another crime, and while behind bars, confessed to the brutal killing thinking he would be protected by the Double Jeopardy law, which prevents someone from being charged for the same crime twice.

But he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years in 2006 following a successful campaign to change the law by Ms Hogg’s family.

Now Dunlop has made an application to the Parole Board to be released and could potentially be a free man by Christmas after a date was set to hear his plea. He will stand before experts for a two day public hearing on October 21 and 22.

But the Daily Star can reveal this is not the first time the killer has made a plea for freedom – with numerous attempts turned down by parole chiefs.

Last year the Government intervened – with then Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood going against a recommendation by the Parole Board to ease his sentence.

In 2019 – when he was still serving his minimum term – parole chiefs considered a reference to move him to an open prison. The closed hearing did not not recommend a transfer to open conditions.

His next parole review took place in September 2022, shortly after his minimum 17-year tariff expired. Again they did not direct that he should be released.

Instead the Parole Board recommended a transfer to open-prison conditions, but the then-Justice Secretary, Brandon Lewis, officially blocked the move in October 2022.

Two years later the Secretary of State again referred Dunlop’s case to the Parole Board for consideration for release or a recommendation for transfer to open conditions.

On 26 and 27 November 2024 the panel conducted a two-day hearing by video link. Dunlop admitted his confession was purely for “selfish” reasons and said he did not do it to help Ms Hogg’s family.

“My confessing was a purely selfish thing,” he told the panel, adding he had “wrongly” thought confessing would “free” him, let him move on and “get help for the violence going on in my head”.

He was asked if he made the admission knowing he was safe from being prosecuted again after his earlier acquittal.

“Yeah,” Dunlop said, and when he was asked how he had been able to lie for so long, Dunlop said: “With great difficulty.”

Asked what he would say to Ms Hogg’s family he said: “I know it’s of little consequence but I do regret what I have done to them,” Dunlop said, adding his anger “destroyed so many lives” and Ms Hogg was a “lovely” and “really witty” woman.

It was ruled that he could be moved to an open prison, but again outside forces intervened. The-then Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood made the decision to “block” Dunlop’s move despite the board assessing him as “presenting a low risk of absconding”.

This October will be his fourth time in front of parole chiefs trying to prove he is a changed man.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Julie Hogg’s murder was a horrific crime and our thoughts remain with her friends and family.

“Public protection is our number one priority which is why we have blocked William Dunlop’s transfer to open prison.”