Overview
- Billy Dunlop has begun a fourth parole hearing in London where he is asking for a direction that would lead to his full release from prison.
- Dunlop was convicted in 2006 for the 1989 murder of Julie Hogg after a retrial made possible by the change to double jeopardy law championed by Julie’s mother Ann Ming.
- A previous Parole Board review recommended moving Dunlop to an open prison but that recommendation was blocked by then-Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
- Julie Hogg’s family say the prospect of release causes ongoing fear and trauma and they continue to oppose any move that would reduce Dunlop’s custodial restrictions.
- The outcome could shape how parole decisions for people retried under the Criminal Justice Act are handled and may prompt ministerial intervention if the board recommends release.