Ruth Ellis’s grandchildren seek pardon for last woman hanged

The grandchildren of the last woman executed in Britain have appealed for a posthumous pardon, saying she was physically and emotionally abused by her partner before he killed her.

Nightclub hostess Ruth Ellis, from Rhyl, Denbighshire, was executed on 13 July 1955 after being found guilty of murdering her lover David Blakely.

He was hanged at Holloway Prison in London.

“We are committed to doing all we can to right this historic injustice and honor not only Ruth, but all victims of domestic violence who have been failed by the criminal justice system,” said her granddaughter, Laura Enston.

Ellis shot Blakely outside the Magdala pub in Hampstead, London, following a tumultuous relationship that included infidelity on both sides.

Ellis had an abortion, which was illegal in the UK at the time, and was physically abused by the racing driver; This included being punched in the stomach during an argument, which led to a miscarriage.

British public opinion was already questioning whether the death penalty had a place in 20th-century society, and two years after Ellis was hanged, legal changes introduced diminished responsibility as a defence.

The judge, in defence, told the jury to ignore the fact that the mother of two had been “abused by her lover”.

Ellis’ grandchildren appealed to Justice Minister David Lammy to request a conditional pardon.

His family spent decades is fighting to have his case reconsidered..

“He’s a murderer, but he didn’t deserve to be taken from the world the way he was,” said grandson Stephen Beard.

She stars in the new Welsh-language S4C documentary Ruth Ellis: Y Cariad a’r Crogi. [The Lover and the Hanging] – available watch on iPlayer – is reviewing his case with legal experts.

Reflecting on Ellis’ final moments, his granddaughter, Miss Enston, said: “I can’t imagine what was going through his mind.”

She told the program that her grandmother’s “execution had a devastating impact on our family.”

“My mother and my uncle experienced trauma from which neither of them recovered, and as grandchildren, we felt those ripple effects,” she said.

“The evidence shared with the minister of justice clearly shows that the punishment is not appropriate for the crime.”

During cross-examination, Ellis admitted that he planned to kill Blakely, and it took the jury just 20 minutes to convict him of murder; this was a charge that carried the mandatory death penalty.

Unlike court appeals, pardons may take into account broader factors, such as social developments that might make a conviction or resulting sentence inappropriate or unfair.

Ms Enston said the case led to mental health problems in Ellis’ children, describing his mother as “a woman who suffered greatly”, while his uncle also committed suicide.

Alex Bailin KC, representing Ellis’ family, added: “Fortunately, 70 years after Ruth was hanged, the impact of domestic violence on the emotional well-being and behavior of victims is now much better understood.

“Based on the evidence we have reviewed, if Ruth’s case had occurred in modern times, she would have been able to plead for diminished responsibility or loss of control.

“Ruth Ellis’ conditional posthumous pardon will right a historical wrong and send a clear public message that violence against women and girls is never acceptable.”