Last woman hanged in Britain receives conditional pardon after Government recognises domestic abuse and “profound injustice” of her death sentence

RUTH ELLIS , the last woman to be hanged in Britain, has been granted a conditional posthumous pardon more than 70 years after her execution.

Ellis was 28 when she was hanged at Holloway Prison in July 1955 after being convicted of murdering David Blakely, a racing driver with whom she had been in a violent and abusive relationship.

The pardon was granted by The King following advice from Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy. It follows an application made on behalf of four of Ellis’s grandchildren.

The Government said the case involved exceptional circumstances, including evidence of domestic abuse and coercive and controlling behaviour which would be understood very differently by the courts today.

Ellis shot Blakely on April 10, 1955. She was convicted of murder and executed on July 13 that year. No appeal was lodged and no reprieve was granted.

The conditional pardon does not overturn her conviction. Instead, it recognises that the death sentence itself was unjust, replacing it in legal effect with a sentence of life imprisonment.

Mr Lammy said: “We cannot change what happened seventy years ago. But we can recognise that this was an exceptional case. Today’s conditional pardon is an act of mercy. We hope it brings some measure of peace to Ruth’s family.”

Matrix Chambers, whose lawyers acted on the application, said Ellis had suffered “terrible abuse” by Blakely which affected her mental state and culpability, and that the full circumstances of the killing were not properly investigated or explored at trial.

The chambers said the case prompted widespread public condemnation at the time and helped accelerate the eventual abolition of capital punishment in Britain.

Ellis’s granddaughter Laura Enston said the pardon could not undo what happened, but formally acknowledged that Ellis should not have been executed and that the justice system had failed her.

The case has long been seen as one of the most controversial executions in modern British history, not only because Ellis was the last woman to be hanged, but because later accounts revealed the extent of the abuse she had suffered before the killing.

Under modern law, the Government said, Ellis may have been able to argue partial defences including loss of control or diminished responsibility. Had those arguments succeeded, her conviction could have been reduced from murder to manslaughter.

Lawyers Alex Bailin KC and Jessica Jones, of Matrix Chambers, were instructed by Mishcon de Reya on the application and acted pro bono.

A SCHOOL first aider has told a jury that teacher Vicki Williams was “crying, shaking” and in “complete shock” after allegedly being stabbed in the head at Milford Haven Comprehensive School.

Mrs Walters Jones, the school’s main first aider and medical coordinator, gave evidence at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday morning as the trial of a 15-year-old defendant continued.

The boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, denies attempted murder, inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, and unlawful wounding. He has admitted possessing a bladed article on school premises.

Mrs Jones told the court that a colleague came to her office before another person ran in asking for help.

She went to the H2 classroom, where she found Mrs Williams sitting at a pupil’s desk, distressed and bleeding from injuries to her head and hand.

“She was upset, crying, shaking,” Mrs Jones told the jury.

“Her whole body was in complete shock.”

The court heard Mrs Jones provided treatment to Mrs Williams, who told her she had been attacked with a knife.

Mrs Jones said Mrs Williams told her the defendant had been acting “strange” and “weird”, and that she felt unsafe and did not want to turn around.

The jury heard the school was placed into lockdown following the incident.

Mrs Jones said she was the person who called police, but had to pass the phone to a colleague because she “couldn’t get my words out”.

The knife allegedly used in the incident was produced in court and shown to the witness, judge and jury.

Mrs Jones said she cleaned through Mrs Williams’ hair to assess the head wound, and described the injuries to her hands as “erratic”.

The court also heard evidence from Stephen Martin, the school’s inclusion and behaviour manager.

He told the jury he heard a message over the radio that something had happened and later saw Mrs Williams with blood on her hands, running down the side of her face and onto her T-shirt.

Mr Martin said Mrs Williams was “distressed, scared, shocked” and confused.

He told the court Mrs Williams said she did not know why she had been attacked or what she had done wrong.

Under questioning, Mr Martin confirmed there was no recorded conflict between Mrs Williams and the defendant.

The trial continues before Judge Paul Thomas KC.

A HAVERFORDWEST machine operator has been disqualified from driving for three years after admitting his third drink-driving offence.

Gareth James, 40, was stopped by officers on June 14 because of the speed at which he was driving his black Hyundai Tucson along Vine Road in Johnston.

“There was a strong smell of intoxicants and the defendant’s face was very red,” Crown Prosecutor Sian Vaughan told Haverfordwest magistrates this week.

Subsequent breathalyser tests showed James had 53mcg of alcohol in his breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

The court heard that James had two previous drink-driving convictions, imposed in 2009 and 2019.

This week he pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was represented in court by solicitor Michael Kelleher.

Mr Kelleher told the Bench that although James works as a machine operator in Haverfordwest, he lives in Merthyr Tydfil.

“This offence happened soon after he began his new job,” he said.

“He had gone out with his new work colleagues and made the dreadful decision to drive. He thought he was okay, and he co-operated fully with the police.”

Probation officer Julie Norman said James had gone out with work colleagues before making a decision he now clearly regretted.

In addition to the three-year driving ban, James was fined £908 and ordered to pay a £363 court surcharge and £85 costs.