I Fought The Law is ITV’s latest must-see drama, with the four-part true crime series following Ann Ming and her fight for justice.
Ann, played by Sheridan Smith, wrestled to change the archaic double jeopardy law after her daughter, Julie Hogg, was brutally beaten and killed. Her killer, William ‘Billy’ Dunlop, was acquitted – but later confessed to his crime while in custody after attacking another woman.
Julie was just 22 when she was killed, recently separated and a mum to three-year-old son Kevin, who often stayed with Ann when Julie was out working as a pizza delivery driver. And as he grew up, it was Kevin who stood by Ann’s side as she lobbied and campaigned to change the law.
So where is Kevin now? Cosmopolitan UK explores how the murder shaped his upbringing and his future.
What happened to Kevin Hogg?
As Kevin was so young when his mother was murdered, Ann and her husband Charlie decided to soften the truth for their grandson while he was young.
As I Fought The Law shows, Ann discovered Julie’s body, three months after her death, as she’d been hidden beneath a bath panel – this was despite police having previously searched Julie’s home.
“When I found Julie, [Kevin] was downstairs in the living room and he knew something was wrong in the bathroom, but he was only three and his dad didn’t want him knowing how she had died,” Ann told The Telegraph.
Instead, the Ming family told Kevin that his mum had died when she slipped and hit her head as she came out of the bath.
“So for quite a time, if you went somewhere where there was no bath mat in the bath, he’d tell you,” Ann says.
However, the family could not keep the truth from Kevin forever, particularly with Ann’s campaigning keeping Julie’s case in the news cycle. It was when Kevin was 13 that he approached his secondary school’s welfare officer, asking whether it was true that his mother had been murdered.
In the end, Kevin’s father, Andrew decided to tell Kevin the truth behind his mother’s death – as well as the fact that Dunlop had been acquitted for her death.
“That was hard,” Ann has since admitted.
In order for Kevin to understand more about his mum, Ann gave the youngster a scrap book that she had collected over the years.
“He said, ‘It’s like a weight has lifted off my shoulders, because I’ve always wanted to ask but I was trying not to upset anybody,’” Ann recalls.
“It was a lot easier once he knew the truth, but he couldn’t understand the logic of why the man wasn’t in prison for murdering his mum, and why I found her, and not the police. Imagine trying to explain that to a 13 year old child.”
When Kevin was 16, Ann’s campaign to change the law resulted in Dunlop heading to prison – and while Ann admits Kevin “went off the rails” a little bit at this time, he has since got back on track and now works with victims’ families in the company, Victimcare.
According to its website, Victimcare is “a Community Interest Company that provides facilitation, training and Multi-Agency partnering opportunities to any organisations or individuals seeking to better understand and improve their interests dealing with victims suffering trauma as a result of serious crime.”
Kevin, now 39, is also a father to a teenage son, Callum. He remains close to his grandmother Ann, and accompanied her to the London premiere of I Fought The Law.
He has since spoken out about the documentary, sharing a picture of Ann and Calum at another premiere for the drama.
Kevin wrote: “The premiere of I Fought The Law in Durham with @northeastscreen showcasing what can only be described as a living nightmare for our family
“Callum was there with my gran and representing me as I’m away working. I’m super proud of my gran, Callum and @sheridansmithster who plays the part of my gran.
“Thank you to all who’s [sic] been a part of this production and it has truly been depicted in a way that has to be showcased throughout the world.”