Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in Britain: 'My intention was to kill him'

In 1955, Ruth Ellis became the last woman to be executed by hanging in Great Britain after she shot her lover, David Blakely, six times outside a London bar. The 28-year-old confessed to the murder, stating, "I am guilty. I am quite confused." She did not resist arrest, asking a passerby to call the police. Blakely had just left the Magdala pub when Ellis called out to him and fired her revolver until it was empty.

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I am guilty. I am quite confused.

Ellis's background, marked by poverty and alleged abuse, was largely sidelined during her trial. Born Ruth Neilson in Wales, she was the fifth child of Arthur and Bertha Hornby. Speculation suggested the family frequently changed surnames to conceal Arthur's abuse of his daughters. Her sister Muriel later revealed in 1999 that their father had abused Ruth and Muriel, who became pregnant by him at 14. This history of abuse, along with mistreatment by Blakely and her husband George Ellis, was intended to be part of an appeal, according to reports.

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It must be a whole story behind all this. Would you like to tell us?

Despite the seemingly straightforward case, Ellis's story became a catalyst for change. Her family's persistent efforts to have her sentence re-examined eventually contributed to significant reforms in English criminal law, particularly concerning domestic violence and its impact on criminal responsibility. The case, however, initially reduced Ellis to the image of a jealous lover and murderer.

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These abuses, along with the beatings and other mistreatment that Ruth suffered from Blakely and her husband, George Ellis, will also be part of the arguments presented to the appeals court.