Ruth Ellis

In July 1955 Ruth Ellis was hanged after shooting her lover David Blakely outside a Hampstead pub. The judge ruled that provocation was not an admissible defense although Blakeley had earlier punched Ellis in the stomach and probably caused her miscarriage. The evidence against Ellis was overwhelming, but as a glamorous mother of young children she inspired considerable sympathy, and the press and public campaigned for her reprieve. This'bloody history' explores the tragic consequences of Ellis's abusive relationship with newspaper cuttings, psychiatrists' reports and Ellis's letters. It also examines the controversial verdict that inspired fervent debate about the death penalty, and recent events like her family's attempt to challenge her murder conviction in 2003.