ITV viewers stunned by ‘sadistic’ true crime story starring Sheridan Smith

Sheridan Smith has left fans speechless with her ‘harrowing’ new ITV true crime drama.

The 44-year-old actress plays Ann Ming in four-part series I Fought The Law, which follows one woman’s fight to bring her daughter’s murderer to justice, who was controversially acquitted after two mistrials.

The show is available to stream now on ITVX, and viewers are already heaping praise on the show, with one fan describing the scenes as ‘sadistic’.

‘Bloody hell an emotional watch with #SheridanSmith tonight on @ITV I fought the law,’ added @Gummybear1981 on X, while @iamfordmusic simply wrote: ‘Bloody hell I fought the law.’

‘Blimey. I fought the law on @ITV. Julie Hogg’s poor family,’ said @MissDemeanor07, as @RUSignificant enthused: ‘ITV’s I Fought the Law … gripping… brilliant performances … 10/10 … and amazingly and harrowingly this is a true story! Shocking!!’

And @Chelle26f wrote: ‘I Fought The Law – first episode, so many emotions, my heart goes out to Julie and her family, bravo to @ITV for bringing this story to the publics attention, brilliant casting but heartbreaking that this is a true story. #IFoughtTheLaw’

I Fought The Law is based on Ann’s book For The Love of Julie, and was adapted for the screen by Jamie Crichton.

It sees Sheridan star as the mother-of-three in a 15-year battle against the 800-year-old Double Jeopardy Law, which stopped a person from being tried twice for the same offence after being acquitted or convicted.

In Metro‘s spoiler-heavy four star review, our writer Milo Pope wrote: ‘I can’t remember ever feeling quite so horrified and disturbed as I did when I first watched this series.’

At an early viewing of the first episode, the real Ann Ming admitted while she is proud and grateful that the story is being told, she would give anything not to be here. 

‘There’s nothing pleasant about the whole scenario, to be quite honest, because Julie’s never coming back,’ she told Metro. ‘I’m glad I changed the law, but there’s always that immovable downside.’

Sheridan embodied Ann by watching all her interviews, and was physically transformed with a wig, costume and clever makeup.

‘Sheridan became me, it’s really strange. She was getting quite emotional filming,’ Ann recalled. ‘I said to her, “You’ve spent nine weeks with it, but for me, it’s been 35 years.” ‘

I Fought The Law is available on ITVX.

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