Ruth Ellis. What are your thoughts?

Ruth Ellis was guilty of murder and condemned herself by her own words in response to the prosecuting counsel's question:
"It was obvious that when I shot him I intended to kill him." There was no other verdict to be found, and she consistently refused to use possible mitigating circumstances for a reprieve. It was her family and friends who were seeking an appeal.
And a defence is based on the defendant's information given to her counsel.

A pardon for declaring her guilty or for the hanging ?

Her granddaughter was interviewed on morning TV yesterday. She wants a pardon for Ruth. She herself was taunted as a child because of her DGM.

Esmay

My family were really upset when Ruth Ellus was hanged .
Her story was heartbreaking.
If she had been upper class it would not have happened .
Nigel Haver's grandfather was distressed by it and made an unsuccessful appeal .
He supported her son financially .

Nigel Haver's grandfather was distressed by it and made an unsuccessful appeal
I suppose he had no choice at the time, with the evidence as presented and without her wanting to defend herself but to deliver that verdict and sentence.
He wrote to the Home Secretary asking for a reprieve on the grounds of crime of passion but it was refused.

I knew he'd supported Ruth Ellis's son for years.

We know what her defence has told us , we do not know if it’s true

Haven't watched it yet but seen plenty documentaries over the years. She did not deserve to hang.

I am against execution in any shape or form - I don’t consent to the state murdering in my name.
Ruth Ellis was treated according to the standards of the day which are very different to today’s and she almost certainly wouldn’t be convicted of murder today.

www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/ruth.html

This website gives a clear, and I think unbiased, account of the case and trial of Ruth Ellis and explains how several people attempted to save her from the death penalty but she did not appear to want a reprieve.

Many years ago the Crucible did a play about her and her daughter came to the Press Night. She was the epitome of old fashioned glamour: a long fur coat and a long cigarette holder. She was funny and charming.

My family were really upset when Ruth Ellus was hanged .
Her story was heartbreaking.
If she had been upper class it would not have happened .
Nigel Haver's grandfather was distressed by it and made an unsuccessful appeal .
He supported her son financially .

Yield to the Night was not based on the Ruth Ellis case as it was written before she committed the murder of Blakeley.

I think they should bring back capital punishment.

There are some cold blooded killers languishing in our jails.
And why should we support and keep them.?

The morals of the 50’s and present times are so different.

I'm playing devil's advocate here but I do believe she deliberately killed him so deserved the death penalty. It was law at that time
She could have left him when he first became violent
I do believe in the death penalty for people who rape and kill children, or abuse and kill children with confirmed DNA evidence. Also with murderers who do come out of jail and then go on to kill again. Too many 'mitigating circumstances' these days and our sentences are far too short.
Also Isis murderers who deliberately killed aid workers etc and put videos of it should face a death penalty.

The reason I think she should be pardoned is that she was a battered woman with a ten year old son. To be beaten and live in fear can you imagine how that is? In those days police turned there backs on battered wives and girl friends they were domestics.. I have never been hit by anyone, to be beaten up in a regular basis has to de humanise use you. How another person could hang someone because that's murder, I don't know either.

This is an interesting thread even though I find it disturbing. Even though I was so young I never forgot her and never will . Thank you all .

Smileless2012

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

There are two degrees of murder and also manslaughter.
She acted under extreme provocation but it is as if she felt she needed to be punished and put ip no defence, despite the efforts of her lawyer.

Smileless2012

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

Killing someone isn't always murder.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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’

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.

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