Appeal Court to consider Ruth Ellis case

Ruth Ellis with David Blakely who she shot dead

Ruth Ellis's family believe that she was mentally ill, and provoked, when she shot her lover, David Blakely, dead in 1955.

Her original trial lasted one and a half days, with no real defence offered.

Today, the appeal court will reconsider her case once again.

Her sister, Muriel Jakubait, believes that it's what Ruth would have wanted.

Lawyers acting for her sister say there's a new evidence, showing that she should never have been convicted of murder.

Breakfast reporter Mike Sergeant spoke to the landlord of the pub where Ruth Ellis shot her lover.

Tish Campbell says the pub has become famous for the events that took place there.

We have regulars that still remember the night that it happened Tish Campbell, Magdala pub

And, according to local legend, marks on the pub's outside walls were caused by the bullets that Ruth Ellis fired.

Dermot spoke to actress Fiona Ormiston who played Ruth Ellis in a BBC drama documentary, "A life for a life".

Fiona got interested in Ruth's case after she read a letter that Ruth wrote from her prison cell to David Blakely's mother.

In that letter Ruth apologises for her actions and tries to explain herself.

But, Fiona explained, at her trial, the reasons behind Ruth's actions did not come out enough.

In today's light it would not have happened, it would have been manslaughter Fiona Ormiston, actress

But, Fiona explained, at her trial, the reasons behind Ruth's actions did not come out enough.

At the time of the shooting, Ruth had recently suffered a miscarriage - thought to be caused by David Blakely punching her in the stomach ten days before.

She was on tranquillisers and was actually given the gun by her other lover - who wanted Ruth for himself.

Given all these factors, Fiona Ormiston believes that there are grounds for an appeal.