Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced on Wednesday that Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in the United Kingdom, will be granted a conditional pardon. The pardon replaces her death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment, acknowledging a 'profound injustice' in what Lammy described as an exceptional case.
Pardon Details and Family Reaction
Lammy stated that the pardon does not claim Ellis was innocent of killing David Blakely but aims to recognise the unfairness of her execution. 'We hope this brings a measure of peace to Ruth Ellis's family, who have carried the weight of what happened to her for over 70 years,' he told the Commons. Ellis's grandchildren, Laura Enston and Stephen Beard, were present in Parliament for the announcement.
In a statement, Enston said: 'Today, justice has finally been done for our grandmother, Ruth Ellis – the last woman to be hanged in England in 1955. This pardon does not undo what happened 71 years ago. It does not restore the lives that were broken – the children left behind, the years lost. But it says, formally and finally, that Ruth should not have been executed, that the justice system failed her.'
Background of the Case
Ruth Ellis, a nightclub hostess, was executed on July 13, 1955, at Holloway Prison after being convicted of murdering her lover, racing motorist David Blakely. She shot him dead outside The Magdala pub in Hampstead, London, in April 1955. Her case has long been a focal point for campaigners against capital punishment, with concerns raised about the abuse she suffered and the fairness of her trial.
Lammy made the announcement while standing in for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions, as Starmer attended the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The pardon was granted on the advice of the government, accepted by His Majesty the King.
Impact on the Family
Enston highlighted the lasting trauma on the family: 'Ruth was a victim of sustained and brutal abuse. Her children, our mother and uncle, never recovered. My uncle took his own life, my mother's trauma left her unable to be the parent we needed. The shadow of Ruth's execution has fallen across two generations. We have carried shame that was never ours to bear.'
