Grandchildren of Ruth Ellis seek pardon for her
The grandchildren of Ruth Ellis have asked Britain’s justice secretary to issue a posthumous pardon for their grandmother, who became the last woman executed in the country after killing her abusive partner in 1955. Ellis shot racing driver David Blakely, who had subjected her to repeated physical and emotional abuse throughout their relationship. The trial judge told jurors to ignore evidence of the abuse she suffered, and the 26-year-old single mother received a death sentence.
Her family argues that modern laws recognizing coercive control and diminished responsibility would have resulted in a manslaughter conviction instead of murder. Granddaughter Laura Enston said the execution devastated multiple generations, with her mother living a troubled life and her uncle dying by suicide after developing schizophrenia. Enston described years of shame linked to her grandmother’s portrayal as a callous murderer, leading to childhood bullying and a desire to distance herself from the case.
The family hopes the pardon will correct what they call a historic injustice and honor domestic abuse victims failed by the justice system.
