From glamour model to nightclub manager - who was pardoned killer Ruth Ellis?
Summary
Ruth Ellis, the last woman executed in the UK in 1955 for murdering her abusive lover, has received a posthumous conditional pardon more than 70 years after her death. The pardon recognizes a miscarriage of justice and replaces the death sentence with life imprisonment, though it does not declare her innocent.Key Facts
- Ruth Ellis was a glamour model and nightclub manager in London during the 1940s and 1950s.
- She was convicted of murdering her lover, David Blakely, and was executed by hanging in 1955 at Holloway Prison.
- Ellis suffered physical abuse from Blakely, including an incident that caused a miscarriage, and had an illegal abortion.
- Ellis' family has long fought to overturn her conviction due to domestic abuse she endured.
- Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced the King granted a conditional pardon in recognition of the injustice.
- The pardon replaces the death penalty with life imprisonment but does not state she was innocent.
- Ellis wrote a letter the day before her execution acknowledging her fate and thanking supporters.
- Her case contributed to growing public debate about capital punishment and changes in UK law regarding diminished responsibility.
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