You Shall Be Hanged by the Neck

A Cruel Love

I finished watching the film “A Cruel Love.” I was initially drawn to it because of the actor Toby Jones, who plays a solicitor in the film. He was the main actor in the ITV drama “Mr Bates vs the Post Office.” This was a look into the prosecution of about 700 post office workers in Great Britain. It’s called the nation’s worst miscarriage of justice. I wrote about this in an earlier story as part of my “Dirty Dozen” series.

ITV/BritBox drama, “A Cruel Love,” was written by Kelly Jones. It is based on the 2011 biography "A Fine Day for a Hanging: The Real Ruth Ellis Story," written by Carol Ann Lee. She is a bestselling author known for true crime and historical biography. She has written a lot about the Holocaust and the Moors murderers, Myra Hindley and Ian Brady.

The Ruth Ellis story is tragic, but it has made its mark on society for a couple of reasons. She was the last woman hanged in Britain. Her story changed how the justice system deals with domestic violence.

The story reveals British fixations on class, sex, and death in 1955's London club scene. Ruth, 28, became the capital's youngest club manager. Her career was marred by an abusive relationship with racing driver David Blakely. She killed him in cold blood. Would people still be thinking about her story 60 years later if a man had shot her in the same way?

Ellis and Blakely were locked in a dysfunctional relationship. She endured months of abuse and violence from Blakely. This included losing her baby after Blakely punched her in the stomach. On Easter Sunday, distraught at Blakely’s refusal to speak to her, Ellis reached a breaking point.

Ellis shot Blakely twice as he left a pub. Then, she shot him two more times while he lay on the ground. She asked for the police to be called and was arrested by an off-duty policeman who had also been drinking in the pub. Many suspected that a second man, Desmond Cussen, was involved. He might have given her the gun and taken her to the pub in a taxi. However, this was never proven.

The prosecution admitted that Blakely treated Ellis “disgracefully," causing her emotional distress. These facts were not considered to alter the verdict from murder to manslaughter. The mandatory sentence for murder was death.

A Foregone Conclusion

In some ways, the Ellis story resonates with that of Australia’s most famous bushranger, Ned Kelly. I wrote about Kelly in a previous story, “He Never Had a Chance.”

Ellis never denied the shooting. During the trial, the prosecution asked her what she meant to do. She answered, “It is obvious that when I shot him, I intended to kill him."

What sparked public outcry was that she went to the gallows. Women were rarely executed in Britain. In 90 per cent of cases in the 20th century, those sentenced to death were reprieved.

Blakely mistreated Ellis, causing her emotional distress. This seemed like a strong reason to commute her sentence. Many people assumed that this would happen. When it didn’t, thousands of Britons were appalled.

Ellis's perceived sexual immorality played a role in the decision not to commute her sentence. She wasn't married to David Blakely. A "lenient view" was not applied since she was getting money from another man, Desmond Cussen.

The press pointed out that the justice system's harsh view of Blakely's murder didn't match public opinion.

Petitions started popping up all over Britain as soon as the sentence was announced. Thousands of people sent signatures and letters to the home secretary, asking for a reprieve. Ninety per cent of them called for a reprieve.

Blakely’s murder was widely described as a ‘crime of passion’. Some thought Ellis's strong feelings for her boyfriend were grounds to lessen her guilt about the crime. Many people talked about their unhappy relationships and disappointments in love. This highlights the rising worries about domestic violence and the abuse of women.

Much of the public sympathy for Ellis was fueled by the violence to which she was subjected at Blakely’s hands. Ellis said she gave Blakely money for cigarettes, food, and drinks. She also shared that he would attack her when he was drunk. She detailed how he would smack her face and punch her. One time, she shared how he lost control. He struck her between the eyes and then beat her while she lay on the floor.

The Aftermath

Within two years of Ellis’s death, heightened public sentiment was reflected in law. The Homicide Act 1957 limited the death penalty by restricting it to certain types of murder. It set the tone for 1965. That year, Harold Wilson's Labour government passed the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act.

Such changes are not brought about by one person’s case; there were others. Ruth Ellis is an important figure in the abolition of capital punishment in Britain.

Desmond Cussen was obsessive and sinister. He escaped punishment for his role in the murder. He became reclusive after her execution in 1955. Then, he moved to Australia in the 1960s. He struggled financially and died there in 1991. He actually moved to Perth, where I now live. He reportedly relied on alcohol in his later years. Still, questions about his role in providing the gun used in the crime were never answered.

Ellis had two children. Her son Andy was 10 when his mother was executed. In 1982, he took his own life shortly after he desecrated her grave. The trial judge, Sir Cecil Havers, sent money each year for Andy's care. Also, Christmas Humphreys, the prosecutor at Ellis's trial, covered his funeral costs.

Sadly, her daughter, Georgina, passed away when she was only 50 years old.

Ellis was stoic throughout her trial and execution. She turned down any sedation. The film opens with her refusal of a calming injection. She was called “the calmest woman who ever went to the gallows."

I found it striking that Ellis wouldn’t talk about her “friend” Cussen, or the abuse from Blakley.

Sadly, many victims of domestic violence choose to remain silent about their experiences. Part of this, I am sure, is borne out of fear. One reason is that recounting the awful events feels fresh for them. This often causes significant emotional stress.

Progress is being made, but not enough and not quickly enough. There is no excuse for domestic violence or violence toward women.

Till next time,

Calvin