"At the time, she was portrayed as a cold-blooded killer but evidence has since emerged that Blakely, a racing-car driver, physically and emotionally abused her. The impact on her emotional state was not considered during the trial that resulted in her hanging. The judge told the jury to disregard the fact that she had been badly treated by her lover as a defence. At the time of her death, she was a 28-year-old single mother of two, both of whom were left traumatised."
"The grandchildren are presenting the justice secretary, David Lammy, with an application for a conditional pardon, on the grounds that a modern understanding of the impact of abusive and controlling behaviour would probably have resulted in a manslaughter conviction at most, which would not have carried a death sentence. She would also have benefited from concepts such as diminished responsibility and loss of control, which became enshrined in law in 1957."
Ruth Ellis was executed in 1955 after killing her partner, David Blakely. Evidence has emerged that Blakely physically and emotionally abused her, but the impact of that abuse was excluded as a defence during her trial. The judge instructed the jury to disregard her mistreatment. At her death she was a 28-year-old single mother of two, whose children were left traumatised and later suffered mental health problems. Her grandchildren are applying to the justice secretary, David Lammy, for a conditional pardon, arguing that modern understandings and legal concepts like diminished responsibility would likely have reduced the conviction.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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