Ruth Ellis

[Graham]

Ruth Ellis pleaded guilty and to all intents and purposes that was that.

There have been all manner of weird stories about Dr Stephen Ward and what he got up to. He was certainly well-involved in The Profumo Affair, but it's what he was involved in prior to that which is still all a bit mysterious.

I honestly can't see that Ruth Ellis was connected with Intelligence, but you never know - stranger things have happened.

G

[sdreid]

I thought there may have been more interest in the Ruth Ellis story, particularly the Ward connection. Perhaps this will spark some:

• Stephen Ward was 'connected' with a number of the 'starlets' in two films from the fifties, Lady Godiva Rides Again and It Started in Paradise:
  
  
• Ruth Ellis, Kay Kendall, June Hart, Diana Dors, Gina Egan and Vicki Martin + some notable others (not appropriate to name here) were all 'friends' with Ward.
  
  
• Ruth Ellis and Vicki Martin were best friends, they worked together, lived together and 'partied' together.
  
  
• Vicki Martin died in a car crash in January 1955. Ruth Ellis was arrested 4 months after this and executed 3 months later.
  
  
• Interesting mourners at Vicki Martin's funeral; Bandleader Paul Adam, the Marquess of Milford Haven and Kenneth Harper (who would unbelievably go on to produce Yield to the Night) but not best friend Ruth Ellis?
  
  
• The man driving the car in which Vicki Martin died claimed amnesia at the inquest into her death, as did the only other witness. (Other aspects of the inquest are scarcely believable).
  
  
• The man driving was Terence Robertson, 'inventor' of Fairy Fay, who commited suicide (overdose) in January 1970, almost 15 years to the day after Vicki Martin died. If this seems to be stretching the coincidences, consider that Vicki Martin's sister died in a 'fire' in February 1985.
  
  
• Ward committed suicide, as did his friends Anthony Beauchamp, Pat Marlowe and Yvonne Brooks. Seriously?

This is just the tip of the iceberg...

If you would join JTRForums.com, as I understand, there's s chap over there named Jeff Leahy who's interested in exchanging info with you regarding Ellis, Hart and Martin.

[Graham]

I've just finished reading a remarkable new book about Ruth Ellis: A Fine Day For A Hanging by Carol Ann Lee. In it, she deals very effectively with all the emotion surrounding the case, both at the time and later; with the possible involvement of Desmond Cussen regarding the origin of the gun Ruth Ellis used to kill David Blakely; and she dismisses, equally effectively, the supposition that Ruth Ellis was somehow involved with British Intelligence. However, with regard to the latter, she states that as Stephen Ward's sometime "protegee" Vicky Martin was at one time Ruth Ellis's best friend and flatmate, it is almost certain that Ruth met Ward on at least one occasion, but that does not necessarily imply that Ward got her involved in anything sinister.

Definitely worth reading by anyone who still has an interest in this crime.

Graham

[Limehouse]

The people I feel most sorry for in the Ellis case are Ruth's children. I am not without sympathy for Ruth, but her lifestyle was of her own chosing and had an enormous effect on her children.

Obviously, her behaviour may have been influenced by childhood experiences - and all the men she got involved with were swines. She probably suffered from low self-esteem and developed a pattern of responses that ended up with her being in that emotional state resulting in the shooting.

I don't support capital punishment so obviously I think hanging her was wrong but she didn't really leave the authorities any choice. For her, hanging was a form of suicide.

Both her children went on to have traumatic lives and both died young. What a burden they had to carry. What a sad, sad story for all concerned.

[Inquisitio]

SDReid: Thank you, however registration appears to have been disabled on that site?

[sdreid]

HMM Hopefully someone on here has How's email address so he can be asked to lower the draw bridge.

[Magpie]

http://jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=2804

Here's the necessary info

[Inquisitio]

Thank you :-)

http://jtrforums.com/showthread.php?t=2804

Here's the necessary info

[Inquisitio]

Unfortunately, I haven't had a reply to my email to register, so I can only post here - which probably isn't a bad thing :-) ...

I'm sure that collectively 'we' can get to the bottom of this mystery.

https://www.thevaleriemewescase.com

Will check here for comments as frequently as I check here...

[Inquisitio]

Agreed. One of the better books (far far better than the alternative which I won't name as it doesn't deserve the publicity). Try...

https://www.thevaleriemewescase.com

I've just finished reading a remarkable new book about Ruth Ellis: A Fine Day For A Hanging by Carol Ann Lee. In it, she deals very effectively with all the emotion surrounding the case, both at the time and later; with the possible involvement of Desmond Cussen regarding the origin of the gun Ruth Ellis used to kill David Blakely; and she dismisses, equally effectively, the supposition that Ruth Ellis was somehow involved with British Intelligence. However, with regard to the latter, she states that as Stephen Ward's sometime "protegee" Vicky Martin was at one time Ruth Ellis's best friend and flatmate, it is almost certain that Ruth met Ward on at least one occasion, but that does not necessarily imply that Ward got her involved in anything sinister.

Definitely worth reading by anyone who still has an interest in this crime.

Graham

[apricot]

I've just finished reading a remarkable new book about Ruth Ellis: A Fine Day For A Hanging by Carol Ann Lee. In it, she deals very effectively with all the emotion surrounding the case, both at the time and later; with the possible involvement of Desmond Cussen regarding the origin of the gun Ruth Ellis used to kill David Blakely; and she dismisses, equally effectively, the supposition that Ruth Ellis was somehow involved with British Intelligence. However, with regard to the latter, she states that as Stephen Ward's sometime "protegee" Vicky Martin was at one time Ruth Ellis's best friend and flatmate, it is almost certain that Ruth met Ward on at least one occasion, but that does not necessarily imply that Ward got her involved in anything sinister.

Definitely worth reading by anyone who still has an interest in this crime.

Graham

I, too have read this fascinating book and totally concur that it is a very in depth and effective retelling of a tragic case, debunking many of the myths that have grown up around it.

I've always been interested in those left behind and how they cope, Andy (Ruth's son) is a very sad tale, he suffered mental health issues ending with him taking his own life in 1982. He told Georgina that their mother's death was " The lossness of everything" Dreadfully sad.

One thing I've wondered is why the police didn't ask Andy what happened that last day, he was ten, perfectly old enough to understand the importance of their questions, perhaps then Mr Cussen would have been called to account.

Regards Angie

[Graham]

Hi Angie,

the impression I have is that once Ruth confessed to the killing and made no claims to being set up and so forth, the police just thought "job done". Yes, I guess Andy could have made a contribution, but again the police probably thought there was no point in questioning him. The statement that Cussen made to the police after Ruth was charged was only partially correct, and perhaos Andy might have been able to describe how Ruth and Cussen left the flat together. Cussen eventually told the truth, long after the event.

Graham

[apricot]

Hi Graham,

Yes, of course, you're quite right, there was no great mystery to solve, so no need really to speak to Andy, I suppose I just find it unfair that it must have been obvious that she had, at the very least, someone to take her to Hampstead, her story of taking a cab was frankly ridiculous, a cabbie was highly unlikely to forget that fare!

But, also I've never been able to understand Cussen's motive in giving her the gun and taking her there, what did he think the outcome was going to be?

Still, by what I have read he doesn't seem to have had much joy in the rest of his life, strange man.

Regards Angie

[Graham]

At the very least, with the benefit of hindsight of course, Cussen should have been charged as an accessory to murder. I'm certain he knew what he was doing when he gave the gun to Ruth - he was using her to get rid of his rival in love. I've never understood what he expected her to do. Shoot Blakeley then just walk away and disappear into the night and eventually go back to Cussen? Or did he think that Ruth's infatuation with, and hatred for, Blakeley, presented an opportunity of ridding himself of both of them? If so, it worked. Indeed, a strange man.

Graham

[apricot]

I wonder if he did want to get rid of her? I think it's telling that before her conviction he sent flowers, perfume, books etc and visited her as often as possible, but as soon as she was convicted this all ceased. Not really the behaviour of a besotted beau. Curious.