Bonjour les blogueurs!
I have decided to add a new segment Crime. I think some of the crimes from 20s/30s/40s/50s are quite interesting. I am in no way condoning anything I write about on here and I have certainly not glorifying the offender/s. I just wanted to make that clear, to everyone reading.
I find all things about crime fascinating the pre-meditation, cause, outcome, the offenders and the victims. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I can promise you, you'll learn something from reading it.
Now I will only be writting about older crimes, because I find them more interesting then modern day.
I know this isn't the happiest segment, and some parts of it might be a bit graphic, so keep that in mind before reading! But none the less I hope you gain something from reading it.
I will be starting off with Ruth Ellis.
Ruth Ellis
Ruth Ellis was infact the last woman to be executed in the UK, July 1955.
Ruth was born in the Welsh town of Rhyl on the 9th of October 1926, she was the third of six children. Later in her childhood her family moved to Basingstoke. Ruth left school when she was fourteen to work as a waitress. In 1941, her family left for London.
In 1944, when Ruth was 17 she fell pregnant by a married man, and gave birth to a son, "Andy". The child eventually went to live with Ruth's mother. Ruth became a nightclub hotess brought on by her nude modelling work. In 1950 she became pregnant to one of her customers, having also taken up prostitution. She was three months, when she had an abortion and returned to work after asap.
In 1950, she married George Ellis. He was a violent alcholic and very jealous and controlling. The marriage didnt last, because he was so sure that Ruth was cheating on him. Ruth left him many times but always came back to him.
In 1951 she gave birth to a baby girl, "Georgina" but her fathered denied her as his child, and they finally separated. Afterwards, she moved in with her parents and went back to waitressing.
In 1953, Ruth became the manager of a nightclub. Thats where she met David Blakely, three years her junior. David was also a very heavy drinker. Ruth lived in the flat above the nightclub, just weeks after meeting David moved into the flat. David was actually engaged to another woman at the time. Ruth became pregnant for the forth time but once again had an abortion.
While with David, Ruth began seeing a male named Desmond Cussens. Ruth was fired from her managing job shortly afterwards and moved in with Desmond and became his mistress. Even though Ruth was living with Desmond she was still very much in a relationship with David. But David had become increasingly violent and they both continued to see other people. David asked Ruth to marry her, and she said yes, but in 1955 she lost a child from a misscarriage. The misscarriage was brought on by a punch in the stomach by David during a fight.
On Good Friday 1955, David stood Ruth up. David ran into some friends and decided to ditch his date with Ruth and hang out with his friends. Ruth had suspected an affair between David one of his friends (Carole) and when he failed to show up for the date she was furious.
According to a statement made on the last day of her life "We had been drinking for some time. I had been telling Desmond about David's treatment of me. I was in a terribly depressed state. All I can remember is that Desmond gave me the loaded gun..I was in such a dazed state that i cannot remember what was said. I rushed out as soon as he gave me the gun."
On the 10th of April, 1955 Ruth went to the Magdala (a pub) where she found David's car parked outside. At around 9.30 when David was leaving he passed Ruth who was standing on the sidewalk. Ruth said "Hello David" and David ignored her, then she called out "David!" As David stood there looking for his keys, Ruth took a gun out of her handbag and fired five shots at David. The first shot misssed then the next shot hit him and he collapsed. She then proceeded to fire three more shots at him, close range.
Ruth looked like she was in a daze as she stood over the body. Ruth asked one of the men she knew that had been with David that night to call the police for her. Ruth was arrested by an off duty police officer. Upon being arrested she said "I am guilty. I'm a little confused." She was taken to the police station, and gave her confession.
On the 20th of June 1955, Ruth appeared in Court. When she was asked what she intended to do when she pulled the gun out and pointed it, while she was in the witness box she confessed "It's obvious when I shot him I intended to kill him." This pretty much guaranteed her a guilty verdict and a death sentence. The jury took just 14 minutes to convict her, she was sentenced to death and taken to Holloway prison.
In a letter to David's parents Ruth wrote "I shall die loving your son, and you should feel content that his death has been repaid."
On the 13th of July, 1955 at 9.00am Ruth was executed, and was hung. Ruth's execution took about 12 seconds, but her body hung for an hour.
And as for Ruth's family, George Ellis ended up commiting suicide and so did her son Andy, in 1982. Her daughter Georgina died in 2001, of cancer.
Ruth is buried at St Mary's Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. Her son destroyed her tombstone shortly before killing himself.
All I can say in his case, is "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." I dont think it was really in her nature to kill, I think she was just pushed to the edge by a uncaring man. She never wanted to plenad innocence, she wanted to pay for her crime. I think she didn't mean to kill anyone when she woke up that day, I believe something in her mind just clicked. She has in my opinion paid her debt.
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