Ruth Ellis: Britain's Last Executed Woman and Her Family's Fight for Posthumous Justice

Four of Ellis's grandchildren have formally submitted an application for posthumous pardon to the government. (Representational)

United Kingdom:

The grandchildren of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be executed in Britain, have requested a posthumous pardon 70 years after she was hanged for killing her "abusive" lover, according to their legal representatives on Wednesday.

Ellis, a 28-year-old nightclub hostess, was executed in July 1955 for fatally shooting racing driver David Blakely as he exited the Magdala pub in London.

The case captivated Britain and later inspired the 1985 film "Dance with a Stranger" featuring Miranda Richardson and Rupert Everett.

Four of Ellis's six grandchildren have officially applied to Justice Minister David Lammy seeking a posthumous pardon.

Their application emphasizes the "repeated and long-standing sexual, emotional and physical abuse Ellis endured" from Blakely, stated Mischon de Reya, the legal firm representing the family.

Such abuse was poorly understood during that era but would likely result in a manslaughter charge rather than murder in contemporary cases, the firm explained.

Granddaughter Laura Enston, 46, told AFP that a conditional pardon would rectify a long-standing "injustice".

Enston's mother Georgina was only three years old when Ellis was hanged at London's Holloway Prison after the jury deliberated for just 20 minutes before finding her guilty.

Enston explained that today her grandmother would be recognized as suffering from battered woman syndrome and would receive vastly different treatment from the justice system.

"At that time, there was no willingness to give Ruth a fair opportunity, and we now understand how much social bias influenced the case," she said.

The glamorous single mother-of-two from a modest background displayed no emotion during her trial.

"She unintentionally conformed to that cold-blooded killer image that was portrayed, but with our current understanding of trauma and slow-burn provocation, we know Ruth was traumatized... which is typical of domestic abuse victims," Enston stated.

The abuse included an incident 10 days before the killing when Ellis suffered a miscarriage after Blakely, the father of her unborn child, punched her in the stomach.

James Libson of Mischon de Reya said Ellis "suffered considerably" at the hands of her "abusive, violent partner".

"While there is no question that Ruth Ellis killed David Blakely, the overwhelming evidence of her vulnerability clearly indicates she should never have been executed," he stated.

Ellis's hanging triggered public outrage and contributed to shifting public opinion against capital punishment.

Following several other controversial executions and miscarriages of justice, the death penalty was permanently abolished for murder in 1969.

Two years after Ellis's execution, the law was amended to allow a defense of diminished responsibility.

The Court of Appeal in 2003 upheld Ellis's conviction after the family's earlier attempt to clear her name.

Unlike court appeals, pardons can be granted based on broader factors that may render a conviction unjust.

Enston, whose mother showed her the film about Ellis when she was seven years old, said the case had a "devastating" impact on the family.

Her mother and uncle never truly recovered, and the grandchildren have felt the "ripple effects".

She expressed their determination to correct the narrative surrounding the case for themselves and their grandmother—but also for the thousands of women who suffer domestic violence daily and are "failed by the criminal justice system".