UK | Grandchildren of Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in Britain, seek posthumous pardon

The family of Ruth Ellis, from Rhyl, said she was a victim of domestic abuse that was let down by the criminal justice system and the impact of her execution had been 'devastating for her family'

The grandchildren of the last woman to be hanged in Britain are seeking a posthumous pardon, saying she was physically and emotionally abused by her partner before killing him. 

Ruth Ellis, a nightclub hostess from Rhyl, was executed on July 13, 1955, at Holloway Prison after being convicted of murdering her lover, David Blakely.

Ellis’s granddaughter, Laura Enston said the impact of the execution had been "devastating for her family".

“My mother and uncle suffered from trauma from which neither of them were able to recover, and as grandchildren we have felt these ripple effects," she said.

Ellis shot Blakely dead outside The Magdala pub in Hampstead, London, following a tumultuous relationship involving infidelity on both sides, an aborted pregnancy, and physical abuse by Mr Blakely – including a punch in the stomach during an argument that led to a miscarriage.

The British public was already questioning whether capital punishment had a place in 20th-century society, and Ellis’s case was politicised in the discussion of the death penalty as a method of punishment in modern Britain.

The judge told the jury to disregard the fact that the 26-year-old mother of two had been “badly treated by her lover” as a defence.

Under cross-examination, Ellis admitted she intended to kill Blakely, and the jury took just 20 minutes to convict her of murder – a charge that carried a mandatory death sentence.

Unlike court appeals, pardons can consider broader factors, such as social developments that may render a conviction or its resulting punishment inappropriate or unfair.

Ms Enston said the case had resulted in Ellis’s children being dogged by mental health problems, describing her mother as “a very tormented woman”, while her uncle took his own life.

“We are determined to do what we can to right this historic injustice and honour not only Ruth but all victims of domestic abuse who have been let down by the criminal justice system,” she said.

Alex Bailin KC, representing Ellis’s family, added: “Thankfully, 70 years after Ruth was hanged, there is now a much better understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on the emotional wellbeing and behaviour of victims.

“Based on the evidence we have reviewed, if Ruth’s case had taken place in modern times, she would have been able to plead a defence of diminished responsibility or loss of control.

“A posthumous conditional pardon for Ruth Ellis would correct a historical wrong and send a clear message to the public that violence against women and girls is never acceptable.”

Source: walesonline.co.uk, Ellie Gosley, October 22, 2025

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde