A MOTHER who overturned an 800-year-old law to get justice for her murdered daughter, has been honoured for her outstanding bravery.

Ann Ming, of Teesside, has been voted one of Britain's Bravest Women by Best magazine for her campaign to get justice for her daughter, Julie Hogg, who was killed in 1989.

Mrs Ming found her daughter's mutilated body hidden under the bath at her Billingham home, 13 years ago.

The mother-of-one had been missing for months but a police search of her house had failed to find her.

Labourer Billy Dunlop was arrested and charged with Julie's murder but he was acquitted after a jury twice failed to reach a verdict.

He later confessed to the killing while in jail for an unrelated offence, but the double jeopardy rule, stating no one can be tried twice for the same crime, meant he could not be punished for Julie's murder.

Instead of a murder conviction, he was found guilty of perjury for lying in his original trial.

Mrs Ming and her husband, Charlie, were devastated that the self-confessed killer of their daughter was not being punished for his crime and for the past 13 years have campaigned to get the law changed, backed by The Northern Echo.

Earlier this year, they were delighted to hear that double jeopardy would be scrapped as part of far-reaching law reforms, expected to be introduced next year after being debated in Parliament.

If the changes are retrospective and the Crown Prosecution Service reopen Julie's case, Dunlop could finally face justice.

Speaking about her bravery award, Mrs Ming said: "I am not brave - I just did what any mother would do in those circumstances.

"If somebody confessed to the murder of your daughter but nothing could be done because of an 800-year-old ruling, you would do something too.

"However, at least people now understand what double jeopardy means."

Mrs Ming and the other brave women were treated to a day of pampering and a make-over before they were handed their awards at a dinner in London.