ITV shares first-look at true crime drama that will leave you with chills

ITV has given viewers a glimpse of what to expect in their upcoming crime drama Until I Kill You.

The four-part series stars actress Anna Maxwell Martin as Delia Balmer and Shaun Evans as murderer John Sweeney. It follows their near-fatal relationship which started in 1991, when Delia met a free-spirited John in a local pub.

Based on Delia’s book Living with a Serial Killer, the crime thriller will show their relationship developing from the initial early days before things take a sinister turn. A darker side to John starts to show as Delia finds herself becoming the victim of a series of violent attacks.

During one of those outbursts, he confesses to killing an ex-girlfriend and disposing of her body in the Amsterdam canal. Although he gets arrested, a huge failure from the court unfolds and he's let go, with the authorities not realising how dangerous he is. When he's granted bail he sets his sights on Delia and nearly kills her, however, she survives as he disappears.

Speaking about taking on the role, Anna, who is known for her roles in Motherland and A Spy Among Friends, had nothing but praise when detailing her co-stars. She 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.”

In a short trailer for the series, people chillingly hear John say to Delia: "I'm going to take such good care of you." In a voiceover, someone close to Delia reveals John threatened her with a gun, warning her not to go back to her flat and call the police.

One scene shows the criminal getting arrested and put into a police car after becoming violent to Delia and is later seen in a court hearing with Delia testifying against him. When she's asked to detail the events which took place on 22 December 1994, Delia replied: "You mean the night he killed me?"

In an apparent flashback, a harrowing scene shows John hitting her over the head with a metal object before handling her while she's unconscious. Speaking about starring in the ITV series, Shaun 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."

A synopsis for the show reads: "Shattered by the trauma and injuries inflicted by Sweeney, Delia bravely seeks to rebuild her life. But Sweeney returns seven years later and is arrested for the murder of another girlfriend in North London.

"Delia’s fragile recovery is shattered all over again as she has to face Sweeney in open court, her testimony vital to the prosecution case against him. This is the story of one woman’s astonishing will to survive through physical and emotional torment, despite the failings of the institutions which were meant to protect her."

It's believed Until I Kill You will air on ITV1 and ITVX next month.