Until I Kill You is ITV's chilling new true crime drama, starring Anna Maxwell Martin and Shaun Evans as real life victim and murderer Delia Balmer and John Sweeney.

The series tells the extraordinary true story of Bahmer, who survived a near-fatal relationship with murderer Sweeney.

The title of the show Until I Kill You alludes to the unsettling threat John made to Delia before he was eventually imprisoned.

But who were Delia Bahmer and John Sweeney? What's the plot of Until I Kill You, and who else is in the cast? Here's everything you need to know...

Is Until I Kill You a true story? What is it about?

Until I Kill You tells the disturbing true story of Delia Bahmer, who entered into a relationship with the attentive John Sweeney.

However, she had no idea he was a serial killer. At first he was caring, but over the course of their relationship he became violent and controlling.

On more than one occasion he held Delia hostage and tortured her. Chillingly, he also confessed to the murder of his previous girlfriend.

After one serious assault, Sweeney was released on bail, and left her in the utmost fear knowing that he would return to finish her off.

Following a final frenzied attack leaving Delia on the brink of death, John Sweeney went on the run.

Astonishingly, it would take the police six years to capture and convict him of multiple murders.

In Until I Kill You, Delia Balmer (Anna Maxwell Martin) narrates the ordeal she suffered at the hands of John Sweeney. She relives her traumatic journey through the police and criminal justice system as they attempt to prosecute him for his crimes.

Who is Delia Bahmer?

Delia Balmer was an agency nurse. In 1991, she led an itinerant and solitary life in London working as an agency nurse. It was then that she met fellow free spirit John Sweeney in a local pub, and it seemed like the connection she had been searching for.

However, she soon saw a different side to him... As the relationship developed, his artistic anti-establishment persona gave way to a darker side culminating in a series of violent attacks on Delia. He admitted killing his former girlfriend and disposing of her body in an Amsterdam canal. Although Sweeney was arrested, he was granted bail due to a catastrophic failure by the court to realise how dangerous he is.

Just before Christmas in 1994, Sweeney attacked Balmer with an axe which left her with stab wounds. He also cut off her left little finger. He subsequently went on the run, and evaded capture for years.

Delia eventually rebuilt her life to confront John Sweeney seven years later after he was arrested for another murder.

Who is John Sweeney? What did he do?

Liverpool-born John Sweeney was a jobbing carpenter, who worked under assumed names on construction sites around mainland Europe and south-east England.

Underneath his 'normal' demeanour, he had an entrenched hatred of women and turned violent when they tried to reject him.

In 1994, he went on the run living under assumed aliases following the attack in Camden on Delia Balmer, a nurse with whom he had a relationship. He was finally arrested six years later at a central London building site after the discovery of his latest victim's remains.

John Sweeney was found guilty of murdering two former girlfriends and dumping their dismembered remains in canals in Rotterdam and London.

At the Old Bailey, a judge and jury convicted him of the 1990 murder of Melissa Halstead, 33, a former model from Ohio who was living in Amsterdam. He was also convicted of murdering 31-year-old Paula Fields in in 2000.

The serial killer was already serving a life sentence for the attempted murder of a third girlfriend in 1994. He was locked up for good in 2011.

John Sweeney was dubbed the "Scalp Hunter" as a result of his crimes.

How can I watch Until I Kill You? Is it on streaming?

Until I Kill You airs on ITV1 and ITVX next month (November 2024).

The series will air over four consecutive nights followed by a companion documentary Until I Kill You: The Real Story.

How many episodes are in the series Until I Kill You?

Until I Kill You is a four-part series, which will air over consecutive nights on ITV1 and ITVX.

Each episode is one hour long, including ad breaks.

Delia Bahmer and John Sweeney documentary

Until I Kill You: The Real Story is a companion documentary to the ITV drama. It tells the story of Delia Balmer, a woman who bravely faced and survived the brutality of serial killer John Sweeney.

The film explores the haunting stories of Sweeney's known victims, including American model Melissa Halstead and mother of three Paula Fields. It also reveals the grisly details of how he dismembered their bodies and disposed of their remains - Melissa's in a Rotterdam canal, and Paula's in London’s Regent’s Canal.

Narrated by Anna Maxwell Martin, the documentary offers a raw glimpse into the real-life events that inspired the series and brings a powerful and emotive view to the story.

Who is in the cast of Until I Kill You?

BAFTA-winning actress Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland, Ludwig) will take the role of Delia Balmer.

Anna said: "Telling an important story with the excellent team from World Productions, producer Ken Horn, director Julia Ford and a brilliant cast is always an exciting proposition. As it is brought to life by Nick Stevens, hopefully we will do Delia due diligence."

Meanwhile, actor Shaun Evans (Endeavour, Vigil) will play John Sweeney. He said: "I've previously worked with World Productions and ITV separately, so I'm looking forward to joining forces to tell this story. A story that is quite rightly told through the victim's lens, Delia. We have an excellent script from Nick Stevens and I couldn't be more delighted to work with Anna."

Downton Abbey actor Kevin Doyle portrays David, Finding Alice star Amanda Wilkin plays Leah, and Sphinx's Sallie Harmsen stars as Astrid De Vries.

Is it based on a book?

Until I Kill You is based on Delia Balmer's book, Living with a Serial Killer.

In her memoir, Delia recounts her life and near-death experience of dating killer John Sweeney.

The book is described as "the shocking true story of the woman who survived living with serial axe murderer John Sweeney".

The paperback is published on November 07, 2024.

Until I Kill You will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX in November 2024.