Bettmann Archive/Getty ImagesRuth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in the UK, has been granted a conditional posthumous pardon.
Ellis was hanged at London’s Holloway Prison in 1955 after being convicted of murdering her lover David Blakely.
Her family have campaigned for her murder conviction to be overturned, arguing she was a victim of domestic abuse and was physically and emotionally abused by Blakely before shooting him.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy told MPs the King had granted the pardon, adding: “While the pardon does not claim she was innocent of killing David Blakely, it replaces the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment to recognise a profound injustice in this exceptional case.”
Ellis had an abortion, which was illegal in the UK at the time, and was physically abused by the racing driver – including being punched in the stomach during an argument that led to a miscarriage.
The judge told the jury in her case to disregard the fact that the mother-of-two had been “badly treated by her lover” as a defence. The case occurred two years before legal changes saw diminished responsibility introduced as a defence.
On Wednesday in the House of Commons, Labour MP Pam Cox asked Lammy for the pardon on behalf of her grandchildren, who were watching proceedings from the public gallery.
She said: “Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be executed in this country.
“Her case serves as a haunting reminder of a time when our justice system ignored the realities of domestic abuse and coercive control.
“In the decades since, members of Ruth’s family and supporters have campaigned unwaveringly for her to receive a posthumous pardon.
“Will the deputy prime minister agree with me that their courageous campaign, and the terrible lessons of Ruth’s case, must strengthen the government’s resolve to free women from devastating cycles of abuse?”
Lammy responded: “I have the honour to say that His Majesty the King has accepted our advice to grant Ruth Ellis a conditional pardon, the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom.
“While the pardon does not claim she was innocent of killing David Blakely, it replaces the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment to recognise a profound injustice in this exceptional case.”
He added: “We hope this brings a measure of peace to Ruth Ellis’ family, who have carried the weight of what happened to her for over 70 years.”
PA MediaReacting to the news the sentence had been commuted to life imprisonment, Ellis’ granddaughter Laura Enston said that although the impact of the sentence on her family could not be undone, she felt justice had been done after 70 years.
“Ruth was a victim of sustained and brutal abuse. Her children – our mother and uncle – never recovered,” she said.
“My uncle took his own life. My mother’s trauma left her unable to be the parent we needed.
“The shadow of Ruth’s execution has fallen across two generations. We have carried shame that was never ours to bear.”
She added: “We hope Ruth’s story serves as a lasting reminder that the justice system must reckon with the abuse that drives women to the edge – and must never be afraid to acknowledge when it has got things wrong.”
Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Catherine Atkinson said: “I want to thank her grandchildren for their determination in bringing this case forward, and for making sure her story was finally heard.”
