ITV has ordered ‘I Fought The Law‘ starring Sheridan Smith, a new limited series based on Ann Ming’s book ‘For The Love Of Julie’ which tells the heartbreaking, real-life story of a mother’s love, courage and determination to change the Double Jeopardy Law.
Written by screenwriter Jamie Crichton (All Creatures Great and Small, The Last Kingdom, Grantchester) the series recounts how tenacious mother of three, Ann Ming, battled for 15 years so that her daughter’s murderer could finally face justice, having been controversially acquitted following two mistrials. Jamie’s scripts are based on Ann’s book For The Love of Julie which tells how Ann and her family dealt with Julie’s disappearance in Billingham, Cleveland in November 1989 after working her late shift at a local pizza parlour.
“I am so honoured to have been asked to play the role of Ann Ming, a mother so determined to fight for justice for her murdered daughter that she spent 15 years campaigning for the Double Jeopardy Law to be changed,” said Smith. “She is a truly courageous and remarkable woman to whom we all owe a debt of gratitude.”
Mother to three-year-old, Kevin, and married to husband, Andrew, Julie was only 22 when she died. Raised in a loving home, she was incredibly close to her parents, Ann and Charlie. Tragically, Ann found Julie’s body concealed in the bathroom of her modest terraced house in January 1990, 80 days after it was hidden behind the bath panel by her killer. This was in spite of extensive searches of the property by police forensics teams in the days after her disappearance, who failed to detect her body.
Dissatisfied with Cleveland Constabulary and their investigation, Ann challenged senior officers and applied pressure on the police to discover what had happened to her daughter and to prosecute the man who was guilty of her murder. The drama follows Ann and her family, as they campaign tirelessly in Julie’s name.
In her steadfast and indomitable style and despite her grief, Ann took on the Criminal Justice System, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Law Commission, eminent Defence Barristers in television debates, the Government, the Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General, and two Home Secretaries as she ‘fought the law.’
“As soon as I heard Ann’s story, of her iron resolve and unbelievable courage to see justice done in the face of adversity, I knew this was one that had to be told,” adds writer Jamie Crichton. “Ann is a shining beacon of what can be achieved if you stop at nothing to make your voice heard. In an age when it’s all too easy to feel helpless, we need more Ann Mings in the world.”
The four-part series has been commissioned for ITV by Head of Drama, Polly Hill and Senior Drama Commissioner Helen Ziegler, who will oversee production of the drama on behalf of the channel. Hera Pictures, a leading independent production company founded by award-winning Executive Producer Liza Marshall in 2017, produces the drama with ITV. Ann Ming will act as a consultant throughout the production process.
“I am very pleased that Hera Pictures will tell the story of my campaign to overturn the Double Jeopardy Law,” said Ming. “My daughter’s killer was wrongfully acquitted, and a number of years later confessed to her murder, for which he could only be prosecuted for perjury due to the 800-year-old Double Jeopardy Law. I wasn’t going to let this stand in my way of getting justice for Julie. I’m overwhelmed that Sheridan Smith will be playing me. Having such an iconic and talented actress portray me is truly wonderful.”
‘I Fought The Law‘ does not yet have a premiere date, but begins filming in August 2024, so it’ll likely be 2025 before premiering on ITV1 and ITVX. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
