
Episode 87 - Ruth Ellis: The Last Woman to be Hanged in Britain
RedHanded
00:00
The Provocation Defense in the Case of James Blakely
Judge Cecil Havers ruled that the jury were unable to consider that Ruth Ellis may have been provoked into the murder of James Blakely. The law of provocation in Britain originates from protecting people in a 16th century duel. Maybe if it had been possible to show that Ruth had not meant to kill David, she would have got away with manslaughter. But when asked by Mr. Christmas Humphreys what she intended to do with the revolver, Ruth replied: It is obvious when I shot him, I intended to kill him. She's really not helping herself here at all.
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