Executed at 28, pardoned after 70 years: the case of Ruth Ellis reviewed in the UK

Ruth Ellis, who became the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom, was posthumously pardoned. The decision was made after evidence emerged that she had long suffered domestic violence and control from her partner, but these circumstances were not properly considered during the trial. This was reported by The Guardian.

Pardon 70 years after execution

Ruth Ellis was executed in 1955. At that time, she was 28 years old.

The woman was convicted of murdering her partner David Blakely, whom she had met two years earlier while working as a nightclub manager.

The pardon petition was submitted by four of Ellis's grandchildren. They emphasized that her actions could not be assessed separately from domestic violence, psychological trauma, and other circumstances that the court in 1955 effectively ignored.

The decision was announced by the UK Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy. On his recommendation, King Charles III posthumously pardoned Ruth Ellis.

Why the case was reviewed

The government explained that if this case were tried today, the jury might consider loss of self-control or diminished responsibility of the woman.

Under such circumstances, the crime classification could have been changed—from intentional murder to manslaughter.

At the same time, a conditional pardon does not overturn the conviction itself but only changes the imposed punishment. In Ruth Ellis's case, the death penalty was officially commuted to life imprisonment.

The court did not consider evidence of domestic violence

At the time of execution, Ruth Ellis was a single mother of two children. She was called a "ruthless killer" at that time.

Later, testimonies appeared that David Blakely, who was a racing driver, systematically subjected her to physical and psychological abuse.

According to Ellis herself, her friends, doctors, and witnesses, the man beat her in public, pushed her down stairs, hit her ear hard causing temporary hearing loss, caused a miscarriage by striking her abdomen, left bruises on her body, and threatened to kill her.

During the trial, the impact of this violence on the woman's psychological state was not considered. The judge also instructed the jury not to take into account as a defense argument the claim that her "lover treated her cruelly."

Family: the pardon will not change the past but restores justice

Ruth Ellis's granddaughter, Laura Enston, said that the pardon decision cannot change past events but is very important for the whole family.

According to her, it is an official recognition that Ruth should not have been executed and that the justice system failed her.

Enston also noted that the consequences of the execution affected several generations of the family.

She said Ruth Ellis was a victim of prolonged severe abuse, and her children never recovered from the loss of their mother. She shared that her uncle later committed suicide, and the mother's psychological trauma affected the entire family.

Justice Secretary called the decision an act of mercy

David Lammy stated that it is no longer possible to change events from 70 years ago, but the exceptional nature of this case can be recognized.

According to him, the conditional pardon is an act of mercy which, the UK government hopes, will bring some peace to Ruth Ellis's family.

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