Ruth Ellis' grandson has revealed shocking new details about his grandmother's case, claiming she was manipulated into shooting her lover by a man who provided the murder weapon.
Speaking to GB News, Stephen Beard said Desmond Cousin was "the ultimate protagonist" in the events leading to the 1955 killing.
Beard disclosed that Cousin, who was involved in a love triangle with Ellis, gave her his British Army revolver after she returned home badly beaten by her lover David Blakely.
"He did say to her, 'there is a way out, you know'," Beard told GB News, recounting how Cousin presented the weapon when Ellis said she "couldn't go on anymore."
Stephen Beard says his grandmother should be pardoned
PA / GB NEWS
According to Beard, Cousin then took Ellis to Hampstead Heath to teach her how to use the firearm.
"She said, 'I've never killed anyone. I've never hurt anyone'," Beard told GB News, describing his grandmother's initial hesitation.
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Cousin allegedly promised to look after Ellis' children "should it all go wrong" and drove her to the scene of the crime.
In a shocking twist, Beard revealed that after Ellis carried out the shooting, Cousin turned against her.
"He actually acted as a witness for the prosecution. His own cousin was in the legal team within the prosecution," Beard said.
Ellis became the last woman to be hanged in Britain when she was executed at Holloway Prison on July 13, 1955.
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The 28-year-old nightclub hostess had shot her lover David Blakely outside the Magdala pub in Hampstead, London, on Easter Sunday that year.
Her trial lasted less than 24 hours, with the jury taking just fourteen minutes to reach their verdict.
The case sparked significant public outcry, with thousands campaigning on her behalf.
Her execution would later contribute to growing calls for the abolition of capital punishment, which was eventually outlawed in 1965.
Beard told GB News there has been "a lot of new evidence" that wasn't explored during the original case.
The new revelations come as ITV prepares to air "A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story" in March.
Beard believes the series could spark similar public reaction to the Post Office scandal, telling The Times: "I'm not saying that Ruth should be reprieved because she did murder a man."
He highlighted how Ellis had suffered severe abuse from Blakely, including a beating that caused her to miscarry their child.
When asked how he might get the case reviewed by a judge, Beard admitted: "I don't know."
