Ruth Ellis. What are your thoughts?

Anniebach

There is a call for Ruth Ellis to be given a pardon, how can this be granted ?

For her children and grandchildren. A posthumous pardon shows that the punishment was inappropriate.

And that the verdict was wrong too - would she have been charged murder today or with manslaughter due to provocation?

Will the pardon be for the punishment of hanging, was it not the law at that time ? The home office refused

Anniebach

There is a call for Ruth Ellis to be given a pardon, how can this be granted ?

The law firm pursuing this on behalf of her family were founded by the lawyer who tried to get the reprieve at the time. The grounds seem to be that he coercive relationship with Blakely and the role of Desmond Cussens (who she claimed gave her the gun and taught her how to use it, as well as driving her to the scene) were not taken into account during the trial.

Thank you, so the charge of murder was wrong.

When I was about 14, 70 years ago, I use to say that we would in the future look back at the time we had the death penalty with horror and disbelief. No civilised country could possibly condone such a thing. Yet there are still people in our country who would bring it back.

No, the charge of murder was correct.
When the prosecuting counsel asked her, "Mrs. Ellis, when you fired that revolver at close range into the body of David Blakely what did you intend to do" she replied, "It was obvious that when I shot him I intended to kill him." So the jury were presented with an admission to the shooting plus the all important admission of intent to kill.
There was insufficient evidence to plead provocation for murder thus changing the charge from murder to manslaughter due to the violent nature of the relationship between Ellis and Blakely, but the most important factor in the quest for a pardon is that Ruth Ellis did not seek to escape from the death sentence despite many supporters attempting to persuade her to petition the Home Secretary for a reprieve.

Anniebach

Thank you, so the charge of murder was wrong.

It wasn't wrong as she admitted murdering him, but there may have been extenuating circumstances that could have saved her from hanging. The part Desmond Cussen's played in encouraging/coercing her could have made him an accessory, he was a war hero related to a judge,whilst maintaining his innocence he fled to Australia.

he was a war hero related to a judge,whilst maintaining his innocence he fled to Australia

Yes, that came across in the latest drama,
basically, he was being protected & Ruth Ellis was going to hang no matter what.

I don't think that she deserved to be hanged but should have been convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility had such a legal concept existed at that time, which it didn't. Then she should have been sentenced accordingly.
I have always had a great deal of respect for the late Ruth Ellis simply because she refused to abjure responsibility for her crime, she did after all put two bullets into the body of a supine , already injured man who could not fight back.
Blakely was , without doubt, a gold standard shit, but that unfortunately, is not illegal and does not give anyone a right to kill somebody.
RIP Ruth Ellis.

Kandinsky

*he was a war hero related to a judge,whilst maintaining his innocence he fled to Australia*

Yes, that came across in the latest drama,
basically, he was being protected & Ruth Ellis was going to hang no matter what.

From watching the drama I agree Kandinsky (great art btw) How near the truth it was, or not, l don't know.

Labradora

I don't think that she deserved to be hanged but should have been convicted of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility had such a legal concept existed at that time, which it didn't. Then she should have been sentenced accordingly.
I have always had a great deal of respect for the late Ruth Ellis simply because she refused to abjure responsibility for her crime, she did after all put two bullets into the body of a supine , already injured man who could not fight back.
Blakely was , without doubt, a gold standard shit, but that unfortunately, is not illegal and does not give anyone a right to kill somebody.
RIP Ruth Ellis.

I agree with all your points on this matter👍🏻

I too agree

It is interesting to compare the Ruth Ellis case with that of Edith Thompson who was hanged in 1923 for the murder of her husband.

Edith Thompson's conviction was based largely on the fact that she had written passionate letters to her lover, Frederick Bywaters, which indicated that she hated her husband. The letters were read out in court and it was clear that Edith Thompson had been having affair with Frederick Bywaters who was nine years her junior.

The Thompsons had been returning from the theatre when a man jumped out of the shadows and after a struggle Percy Thompson was fatally stabbed. Edith Thompson stood by screaming in a state of hysteria.

Despite the fact that there was no direct evidence of Edith Thompson's involvement, both Edith Thompson and Frederick Bywaters were hanged in 1923.

There was a feeling in both cases that they were being judged not just for the murder but for their morals.

There is a documentary on ITVX that was made to accompany the drama series called The Real Ruth Ellis. In it Nigel Havers talks about the involvement of his grandfather the judge.

It also has interviews two of with Ruth Ellis's grandchildren about the impact of the case and her execution on the family. Very sad.

I didn't watch it because I would get upset at the injustice of it. I hope she gets a pardon.

I don't see how she can possibly be pardoned, she killed him.

But Ruth Ellis would not use possible coercive, bullying behaviour on the part of Blakely, the possible influence of Desmond Cussem in providing a gun and driving her to the scene or any other mitigating factors such as a recent miscarriage to escape what she regarded as her punishment. 'A life for a life' is what she said, and she held fast to it.
This is a TV drama trying to put a different slant on the trial to prove a miscarriage of justice,but in view of Ruth Ellis's own testimony there is no case.

Women were so judged in the 50’s ‘ She got herself pregnant’
‘He had to marry her’ ‘it’s up to the boy to try and the girl to
say no’

Yes she did hold fast to 'a life for a life' eazybee and chose not allow her defence to try and spare her from execution. A tragic case but not one of a miscarriage of justice.

I find it amazing ( and a little scary) that people still belief that the only murders committed during the time capital punishment were those that got national media coverage.

As far as I know murder rate has actually changed little over the years, absolutely no evidence that capital punishment has any effect whatsoever on these figures.

Totally barbaric and horrific that murder can be carried out by and in the name of the state.

Do not think Ruth Ellis would even have been charged with murder now, as she had not set out with the idea of killing him.

Pierrepount was recorded as saying “the death Penalty did not stop murders”

There is a film featuring Diana Dors, called Yield to the Night, that was loosely based on the Ruth Ellis case. A very emotional film.

Hellogirl1

There is a film featuring Diana Dors, called Yield to the Night, that was loosely based on the Ruth Ellis case. A very emotional film.

I thought Diana Dors was brilliant in that film.

Smileless2012

I don't see how she can possibly be pardoned, she killed him.

Killing someone isn't always murder.