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Ruth Ellis : My Sister's Secret Life
'It's no accident my sister carried the can. That murder was organised like a military exercise by experts. Ruth was hand-picked. And she shielded those people who'd picked her ... the ones who promised her she wouldn't die.' Muriel Jakubait, sister of Ruth Ellis
Who was the mysterious 'third man' who pulled the trigger? Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in Britain, convicted 50 years ago for shooting her lover David Blakely. The case became notorious and was made into a successful film, Dance with a Stranger. The story that has held ever since is of a peroxided tart who killed her man out of jealousy. But crucial questions were left unasked in the original trial, and the whole case reeks of an Establishment cover-up.
Ruth Ellis's sister, Muriel, knew her better than anyone and has always sought to prove she was not guilty. Now she is able to reveal crucial evidence about how a third man pulled the trigger for the fatal shots. A man who was part of a web of British secret agents into which Ruth Ellis fell long before. And at the heart of these new findings is the startling evidence that Ruth was being run by Dr Stephen Ward, at least a decade before his name became public in the infamous Profumo Affair.
Muriel reveals the full story about her and her sister's abused childhood. She shows Ruth as somebody damaged at a very early age - who strove to make something of herself, only to be caught up in something much bigger and end up paying with her life.
Who was the mysterious 'third man' who pulled the trigger? Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in Britain, convicted 50 years ago for shooting her lover David Blakely. The case became notorious and was made into a successful film, Dance with a Stranger. The story that has held ever since is of a peroxided tart who killed her man out of jealousy. But crucial questions were left unasked in the original trial, and the whole case reeks of an Establishment cover-up.
Ruth Ellis's sister, Muriel, knew her better than anyone and has always sought to prove she was not guilty. Now she is able to reveal crucial evidence about how a third man pulled the trigger for the fatal shots. A man who was part of a web of British secret agents into which Ruth Ellis fell long before. And at the heart of these new findings is the startling evidence that Ruth was being run by Dr Stephen Ward, at least a decade before his name became public in the infamous Profumo Affair.
Muriel reveals the full story about her and her sister's abused childhood. She shows Ruth as somebody damaged at a very early age - who strove to make something of herself, only to be caught up in something much bigger and end up paying with her life.
325 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 24, 2020
With the abolition of capital punishment in the United Kingdom, it is more than likely that Ruth Ellis, who allegedly killed her lover, would be serving, or would have served, a prison sentence and gone on to live a normal life once released if this crime had happened post-1965. I say once released because in the circumstances of the case, there would have been a possibility of her being charged with manslaughter rather than murder and thus she would have served a reduced sentence. But in 1955 the death sentence was still on the statutes for this type of offence and consequently, once found guilty Ruth Ellis suffered accordingly.
Her sister, Muriel Jakubait, has written 'Ruth Ellis: My Sister's Secret Life' with the intention of putting the record, as she sees it, straight. She begins by giving the home background to her and Ruth's upbringing, and a horrific one it was. But family ties were very close in those days and they were forbidden, even by their mother, who had a very good idea of some of the abuse that was taking place, to speak about it outside the family home. Such an upbringing must surely have had an effect on Ruth's later behaviour but, most surprisingly, no professional counselling, with a psychotherapist or the like, took place after she was arrested and her subsequent trial made a mockery of the justice system of the time.
Counsel for both prosecution and defence seemed very lax and did not pursue leading points or even call leading witnesses and this, quite naturally, really annoys and upsets Muriel Jakubait, who has spoken to many of them and read their testimonies that were never used at the trail. What is more she feels that there is much more to the shooting of David Blakely than has ever been revealed; indeed she believes that Ruth is innocent of the shooting and that someone else fired the fatal shots. She admits that Ruth did have a gun on the night in question and that shots from it were fired but she puts forward rather compelling evidence that a third party was responsible for the actual murder. And, almost unbelievably, there were no forensic tests carried out and no ballistic tests were ever made to determine whether Ruth's gun fired the fatal shots.
Ruth's sister also has what could be considered a number of conspiracy theories, some of them seemingly far fetched although, one must admit they could be true. She believes that Ruth was involved with Stephen Ward of Profumo fame, or infamy as the case may be, and that Blakey may have been working for the secret service. She also believes that Ruth knew all this and an awful lot more, so she feels that her sister was silenced so as not to reveal anything detrimental to the government or the secret service. Far fetched? Maybe but, as I say, it could be the case for the author has done some very thorough research in the Public Records Office - using such documents as she has been allowed to see; some are still under embargo, which could be said to add credence to her theories.
When the trial took place there was a paucity of witnesses, many who could have put fresh light on the case were never called, and it seems almost incredible that the jury, seemingly having been poorly directed by the judge, took just 23 minutes to find Ruth guilty of murder. Consequently her name went down in history as the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom, the date 13 June 1955. Ruth Ellis's final hours are harrowingly told, as is the devilishly awful life Ruth's son lived, which eventually led to his suicide.
It is a very readable book but, as I say, some of the theories are perhaps somewhat far-fetched and reading it certainly does not tempt one to read anything else about the case for Muriel Jakubait constantly pours scorn on what others have written. There is one thing for sure, they had not done the research that she has done to present this portrait of her beloved sister, who she definitely feels was given a raw deal.
Her sister, Muriel Jakubait, has written 'Ruth Ellis: My Sister's Secret Life' with the intention of putting the record, as she sees it, straight. She begins by giving the home background to her and Ruth's upbringing, and a horrific one it was. But family ties were very close in those days and they were forbidden, even by their mother, who had a very good idea of some of the abuse that was taking place, to speak about it outside the family home. Such an upbringing must surely have had an effect on Ruth's later behaviour but, most surprisingly, no professional counselling, with a psychotherapist or the like, took place after she was arrested and her subsequent trial made a mockery of the justice system of the time.
Counsel for both prosecution and defence seemed very lax and did not pursue leading points or even call leading witnesses and this, quite naturally, really annoys and upsets Muriel Jakubait, who has spoken to many of them and read their testimonies that were never used at the trail. What is more she feels that there is much more to the shooting of David Blakely than has ever been revealed; indeed she believes that Ruth is innocent of the shooting and that someone else fired the fatal shots. She admits that Ruth did have a gun on the night in question and that shots from it were fired but she puts forward rather compelling evidence that a third party was responsible for the actual murder. And, almost unbelievably, there were no forensic tests carried out and no ballistic tests were ever made to determine whether Ruth's gun fired the fatal shots.
Ruth's sister also has what could be considered a number of conspiracy theories, some of them seemingly far fetched although, one must admit they could be true. She believes that Ruth was involved with Stephen Ward of Profumo fame, or infamy as the case may be, and that Blakey may have been working for the secret service. She also believes that Ruth knew all this and an awful lot more, so she feels that her sister was silenced so as not to reveal anything detrimental to the government or the secret service. Far fetched? Maybe but, as I say, it could be the case for the author has done some very thorough research in the Public Records Office - using such documents as she has been allowed to see; some are still under embargo, which could be said to add credence to her theories.
When the trial took place there was a paucity of witnesses, many who could have put fresh light on the case were never called, and it seems almost incredible that the jury, seemingly having been poorly directed by the judge, took just 23 minutes to find Ruth guilty of murder. Consequently her name went down in history as the last woman to be hanged in the United Kingdom, the date 13 June 1955. Ruth Ellis's final hours are harrowingly told, as is the devilishly awful life Ruth's son lived, which eventually led to his suicide.
It is a very readable book but, as I say, some of the theories are perhaps somewhat far-fetched and reading it certainly does not tempt one to read anything else about the case for Muriel Jakubait constantly pours scorn on what others have written. There is one thing for sure, they had not done the research that she has done to present this portrait of her beloved sister, who she definitely feels was given a raw deal.
February 15, 2008
"My sister was framed!" "It was all a conspiracy (tied in to the Profumo scancal)!"
There were witnesses to Ruth Ellis' shooting of her lover, and she was the last woman hanged in England. Although the film "Dance With a Stranger" made her at least a somewhat sympathetic character, the reality was rather unpleasant.
There were witnesses to Ruth Ellis' shooting of her lover, and she was the last woman hanged in England. Although the film "Dance With a Stranger" made her at least a somewhat sympathetic character, the reality was rather unpleasant.
December 23, 2020
This is a disturbing story of Ruth Ellis and her family from young children to the demise of Ruth by her sister Muriel Jakubait. It becomes apparent reading the book that Ruth’s life was a tragedy waiting to happen. It is a pity that the story is clouded by conspiracy theories that do not make any sense.
Should Ruth Ellis have been hung and did she receive a fair trial, the answer is no. There were extenuation circumstances that today would in all probability been ruled as manslaughter. Ruth did not help her own case and the press crucified her.
Should Ruth Ellis have been hung and did she receive a fair trial, the answer is no. There were extenuation circumstances that today would in all probability been ruled as manslaughter. Ruth did not help her own case and the press crucified her.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews