A new ITV psychological thriller based on real events has been called ‘disturbing’ by viewers.
Until I Kill You stars Motherland actress Anna Maxwell Martin as Delia Balmer, a nurse who survived after being captured for several days by a construction worker who was also a serial killer
Actor Shaun Evans portrays John Sweeney, the serial killer known as the ‘scalp hunter’ after he killed multiple women over the course of several years.
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Sweeney became infamous for severing the heads of his victims after killing them. He would then cut their bodies, most of whom were his girlfriends, then dump their bodies in the river.
The ITV drama focuses on Balmer’s relationship with Sweeney in the 1990s in London, and his subsequent capture for his crimes.
The pair had met in a pub in Camden, and after bonding over their shared love of travelling, but Sweeney soon became abusive.
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When Balmer broke up with Sweeney in 1994, he broke into her house and tied her to a bed, where he held her hostage for four days while threatening her with a knife and a gun.
After four days of being trapped in a room by him, he freed her, but would later attack her with an axe.
She escaped with the help of a neighbour who attacked Sweeney.
Sweeney went on the run, but he was eventually arrested in 2001 for the attempted murder of Balmer. In 2010, he was found guilty of the murder of two former girlfriends; Melissa Halstead and Patricia Fields.
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He is currently in prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment.
The real Balmer is now retired, and she shared her story in her 2017 memoir, Living With A Serial Killer.
The show is now on ITVX in its entirety. The first episode aired on Sunday, 3 November and ITV will air one episode a night for the show’s entire four instalment run.
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Until I Kill You has had a huge response from viewers on social media. One viewer wrote: “"Omg!! Traumatised watching #untilikillyou on #itv."
A second viewer wrote: “I'd never heard of this one before, even though it's a true story. Compelling viewing and massively disturbing at times #UntilIKillYou.”
A third shared: “#UntilIKillYou This is horrific... I feel sick to my stomach.”
Someone else declared: “It’s making me feel physically sick #untilikillyou.”
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Until I Kill You is on ITVX now, and will air on ITV 1 at 9pm this week
Topics: ITV, TV And Film, True Crime
Gregory Robinson