Ruth had protected Cussen in her police statement, claiming a man gave her the gun in a club three years previously. She threatened Muriel not to talk to a soul, to look after Andre, instructed her not to allow the boy to talk anyone and left. In her letter to Muriel Jakubait she wrote, "When Cussen, as I believe he is named, appeared behind her I was frightened. There was no need to consider if 28 year-old Ruth, the 52," 7-stone woman with tiny bird-like hands, one gnarled as a result of rheumatic fever, with poor eyesight and suffering the after effects of a recent miscarriage, was physically capable of shooting anyone. The real killer was probably standing there in full view, but totally invisible to them. Is that right?" It was a place where the best people from London secretly congregated when there were parties on. Reluctantly, at midday on 12 July 1955, the day before her execution, Ellis, having dismissed Bickford, the solicitor chosen for her by her friend Desmond Cussen, made a statement to the solicitor Victor Mishcon (whose law firm had previously represented her in her divorce proceedings but not in the murder trial) and his clerk, Leon Simmons. He lied again at Ruths trial when he said on oath that hed known Blakely "Approximately three years.". "Would you pull these tapes Evelyn, Ill pull the others." I wrote to Prime Minister Tony Blair for a reaction about the Home Secretarys decision; and to HM the Queen. ", On 27th May 1955, Mr W Mackenzie, medical registrar at St Giles hospital prepared a report for Ruths solicitor Mr Bickford. Refusing any option to reduce her sentence - like pleading insanity or hig ", In 1955, Ruth Ellis was hanged for murder. It was here that she soon met the two men who would shape the rest of her life and determine her fate, Desmond Cussen and David Blakely. Over the years, Desmond Cussen, Ruths so-called alternative lover, has been described as a bit of a drip, an unassuming, docile, father figure. Are they going to charge him? She and her husband Donald Maclean Yule (who was not called to give evidence) were walking to the Magdala for a Sunday evening drink. Newsam advised the home secretary: "It would be a bad day for this country if we adopted the doctrine of crime passionelle This was a deliberately planned and cold-bloodedly executed murder.". what happened to desmond cussen. Two decades later, in the 70s, according to Bernard de Maid, the solicitor handling the appeal, Ellis's solicitor, John Bickford, a friend of Cussen, wrote to Scotland Yard admitting that he had concealed from the jury that "Cussen had driven her to Hampstead, provided the gun, and had goaded her into shooting Blakely to remove a love-rival from the scene.". He couldnt remember his partners name, it was a long time ago, but said he was very good with a gun, a "crack shot." Clare Dyer talks to Ellis's sister, who is leading the fight to have the conviction changed, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. "I could see her hair was very blonde and she wore a light coat." Mrs Gladys Yule was a prime witness for the prosecution. According to a Home Office note, Ellis told Mishcon: "I didn't say anything about it up to now because it seemed traitorous, absolutely traitorous." They knew each other for nearly six years, regularly visiting a risky club together in Surrey from the late 1940s. In what appeared to be an open-and-shut case of cold-blooded murder, where a prostitute murdered one of her lovers, it didnt matter about anyone else.But those characters should have been investigated.David Blakely had a darker side. So too were Desmond Cussen and David Blakely. Everything pointed to undercover operations and the British Secret Service. Desmond Cussen was born in 1923 in Epsom, Surrey, England, UK. He does just that, saving Earth, and seemingly ending his story. The hanging could easily have been postponed until theyd found him. The notebook tells a revealing story of its own. By early June 2002 I had pieced together quite a dossier of first hand evidence about Cussen; a bigger picture was developing. She was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Theyd been housed there since 1996. She told me about Ruths last few minutes before her execution. I would have remembered. Ruths defence counsel made nothing of this at her trial. What is more, Ruth knew. But he made no attempt to show all the evidence to the jury and let them draw their own conclusions. He groomed her; a fact previously unknown to the public. That abuse and the beatings and other harsh treatment by Blakely and her husband, George Ellis, will also form part of her case for the appeal court. However, I am unaware of the slowly building campaign to which you have referred. The decision has been kept under wraps for fear of unleashing protests which could embarrass ministers.". Forensic expert Lewis Charles Nickolls, Director of the Metropolitan Police Laboratory examined the revolver and bullets. "She was clean, smart, and certainly did not have stains down her clothes. This video. At the end of the first day of the trial, Melford Stevenson, with no jury present, gained a new lease of life. However the magistrates court papers were listed as FRUSTRATED (not available) at the PRO in Kew; they could not say where they were. She said, after being cautioned, "I am guilty. Mr Bickford, Ruths solicitor, had evidence but "felt it unwise to call it. Previous Article Do different brands of antidepressants work differently? The incident happened 10 days after he punched her in the stomach and caused her to miscarry their baby. Where she was travelling to is another mystery. One month and thirty phone calls after beginning my detective work I traced Cussens accountant. The Castle itself dates back to the 13th Century but the main . All these aspects were left unsaid at the trial. At a time when she needed support her close make friend Desmond Cussen gave her a gun and showed her how to use it. At the time of her trial, the case against Ellis, a nightclub hostess and manager, seemed overwhelming. In the early 1970s, Mr Bickford, Ruths solicitor, made a statement to Scotland Yard from his home in Malta. She claimed at the time to have been given the gun by an American serviceman as security for a nightclub debt, and to have taken a taxi to the pub. Using new evidence that Ive uncovered, I say we now need to go back to the scene of the murder, choose a dark evening at about 9.30 pm and reconstruct the crime. I dug deeper into Public Record Office (PRO) documents. I have no information to indicate what Ruth was up to. The cylinder catch revolves the barrel so that the next bullet is in place for the next shot. Desmond Cussen died a lonely alcoholic, as did her solicitor John Bickford, who remained haunted by the case for the rest of his life. What happened Desmond Cussens? - LOST EXPLAINED FAQ 17 views Aug 21, 2022 6 Dislike Share Save LOST EXPLAINED 7.97K subscribers Welcome to the LOST EXPLAINED FAQ. Desmond Cussen Intellectual property Attorney at San Francisco, CA About Contact Reviews Cost Resume About Desmond Learn Desmond's areas of practice. There was no need for forensics on Ruth or her possessions or for investigating the case properly. His words "She was holding the revolver loosely" (crossed out) "pointing it downwards at a slant" (crossed out) became "she was holding the revolver in her right hand pointing it downwards.". As part of my research, I wanted to compare magistrates court statements with the trial transcript. However as we know now that Ruth lied at her trial from start to finish, it would be fair to assume she lied when she claimed shed only known Blakely for two years. what are the three parts of a rope; mack woodruff wikipedia. Statements from new witnesses had one thing in common. Again Ruths barrister had no questions. I found a letter at the Public Record Office from a Mrs Robinson of Ealing to the Home Secretary. But she was certain about what happened. Andre secretly taped their three-hour conversation at the Buddhist Society in London.Just weeks later Andre, aged 38 committed suicide.Humphreys was blinkered; for it was exactly what was going on in the background, amongst the shady characters in Ruths circle, that led to the shooting of her ex public schoolboy lover David Blakely outside the Magdala pub in Hampstead in 1955 and to Ruths execution three months later.Ruths friends, some were prosecution witnesses at her trial, were more complicated than you would imagine from simple statements they made at the Old Bailey.As I read the transcript of the trial and police statements it was clear that nobody was interested in witnesses backgrounds. I used to think Ruth was behind me doing it. It came as something of a surprise to find a hand written document signed by Cussen in London in May 1964. I find it questionable that Ruth managed to shoot six rounds of live ammunition, firing four bullets into David Blakley, then the gun breaks during testing thereby destroying evidence. Next week, the court of appeal will hear evidence that will try to prove it was manslaughter. CB Rank (Hub) West Coast Communities Female Founded Companies . At other times they were taken in a lorry to Bisley to practise with Sten guns. He was definitely intending to take charge.". Importantly, his statement at the magistrates court "No shot was fired after I came out of the public house" was omitted at the trial. Posted on May 29, 2022 by May 29, 2022 by Once at the pub, she peered in to confirm whether David was there. He looked like a spiv with dark, greased back hair; with a round boyish face and an unnatural looking thin moustache. She remembers Ruth as a "first class woman" whom she liked and says she was not the "troublesome blonde" that warders at Holloway had strangely been told to expect. I dismissed the taxi and walked back down the road to the nearest pub where I saw Davids car outside.". The list certainly existed. He discussed at length "unlike his near silent performance in court" the question of provocation; a peculiar contrast to his court appearance. As I leafed through the trial transcript during a visit to the PRO at Kew, the inadequate questioning of witnesses is obvious now for all to see. Nothing was made of this at her trial. In a Prison Service file, recently opened for public scrutiny, I read that Ruth told the medical officer at Holloway prison hospital that her left hand and ankle had been affected by rheumatic fever. "Fifty years on, government turn down reprieve for hanged Ruth Ellis. Desmond Cussen was born in 1923 in Epsom, Surrey, England, UK. It was my first lesson in detective work: examine every local connection. She became the lover of the Maharaja of Cooch Behar before being killed in a mysterious car crash in January 1955.By chance I discovered Ward won Ruth a walk-on part in the 1951 film Lady Godiva Rides Again a comedy about beauty contests. Shut away in a previously closed file is a police statement made by Nickolls on 25th April 1955 along with a further one-page report written on the identical date but on Metropolitan Police Laboratory headed notepaper. It's the middle of the night, I can't sleep so I'm going with option #4. This was quite a find; the first in a series of lucky breaks, opening the door to some significant findings. When he was seventeen he was not in the RAF, he was in the Home Guard working alongside John Steel. "Prior to the drop Ruth wanted to go to the toilet. The Ruth Ellis story wasnt about a crime of passion it looked that way though.The shooting of Blakely obscured the truth about the country in the grips of a spying scandal. I contacted anyone who might spread the word about our new findings, from editors of parish magazines and village newsletters to local newspapers in areas connected with the story.Three years of detective work has taught me there will always be more to discover. The real murderer was Desmond Cussen. ", At her second court appearance on 28th April she said that she saw a lady in front of the two men. The only documented evidence being two entries on the voters list for 1950 and 1951.The defection of Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess was being planned at that time.By 1949 Maclean was under suspicion for passing secrets to the Russians. Nickolls also testified at the trial that one bullet had been fired at close range, less than 3" from the body, the other bullets, he said, were "fired from a distance. Her trial for murder was pushed through in just over a day. As soon as I read these two sentences in Ruths police statement I knew she was lying and protecting someone: "I took a taxi and as I arrived, Davids car drove away from Findlaters [Blakelys car mechanic friend] address. He was usually portrayed as Blakely's scathing rival for Ruth's affections. I was sooo surprised to see that Abstergo got their hands on Desmond's body, he deserved more, not to be experimented on.--------- Monthly giveaway: May 2022. For the third time he emphasised that the gun broke during testing. Determination is what has kept her going, she says. This painful condition stayed with Ruth for the rest of her life. "This was the opinion that Christmas Humphreys, the prosecuting counsel at Ruth Elliss murder trial, was still vehemently defending twenty-seven years later when he spoke to Ruths son Andre McCallum. Bear in mind foreign travel then was fairly limited apart from business matters. Its clear from a Holloway hospital case paper (opened since the publication of our book) that Ruths condition was known about. That day Melford Stevenson applied for the case to be postponed until after 14th June, "Owing to the large number of enquiries still to be made by the defence." They used to work . He was from an exceptionally well to do family. Cussen seemed to be following Ward around.When the names Ward, Keeler and Profumo cropped up later in the Atlantic hotel, I realised that Cussen whod been staying there for two years was not there by accident. It appeared to be an open-and-shut case of cold- blooded murder. Did Stevenson choose not to explain this evidence to the Old Bailey jury? Ruths defence counsel Melford Stevenson did nothing for her.Later when I found this statement that Stevenson made on the first morning of the trial, I asked myself what was going on. After those discoveries I was determined to find everything I could about this very private man. Fiona Mactaggart MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State replied to Sir Paul Beresfords letter: "The case of Ruth Ellis has always attracted interest over the years and more particularly in this the fiftieth anniversary of her execution. I knew nothing of the background and I didnt care. Cussen and Co microfiches led to another vital discovery, more proof of Ruths connection with Dr Stephen Ward, who was a key player in the Profumo affair in the 1960s, and circumstantial evidence of Cussens connection to the secret service. The judge took away power of the jury.". Category: Blog Post navigation. Instead he summarised, "We have heard the evidence about your taking a revolver up to Hampstead and shooting him. They regularly practised shooting 303 rifles on a local rifle range. It didnt come out in the trial. There are more than enough invisible clues to show Ruth was set up. Its worth mentioning here that Peter Rawlinson (now Lord Rawlinson) Ruths junior defence counsel, met Ruth at the Old Bailey on 11th May one month after her arrest. Extraordinarily Stevenson had, "No Questions.". He said there was no evidence on which a jury could possibly conclude that it was a case of provocation, and left the jury no choice but to convict her of murder. Miss Gleeson went to the police twice, and a solicitor, but they disregarded her evidence. Newcastle West History & Heritage. What is more, Cussen was not the docile character wed been led to believe even as a young man he was a crack shot. He was a member from the late 1940s until 1955. The authorities considered prosecuting Cussen, who later died in Australia, as an accessory, but decided it would be impossible without Ellis as a witness. He was perfectly placed when the Profumo fiasco broke in 1963.This discovery opened up a new line of investigation, which in turn led to the infamous spying activities of Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess.The convincing story, spun and repeated for fifty years, disguised the real Ruth Ellis. At the beginning of her performance, which she began without being asked saying, "It all started about two years ago when I met David Blakely at the Little Club, Knightsbridge," Superintendent Crawford had to stop her and ask "Would you like this to be written down? He said Ruth took a gun which she knew was loaded, and shot David Blakely dead by "emptying that revolver at him, four bullets going into his body, one hitting a bystander in the hand, and the sixth going we know not where. A further new discovery is that Ruth occasionally visited Tatsfield, a village north-west of Westerham and home to Soviet Super Spy Donald Maclean. He failed to raise any of these discrepancies.The more I read the transcript, comparing it to witness statements prior to the trial, the more I saw the skulduggery that took place. The Welsh peroxide blonde glamour model turned cold . In 1955, at the age of 28, Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in the UK after she shot her lover dead outside a pub in Hampstead two months earlier. She was undoubtedly indebted to him. His character was best known for his "old African sayings". Originally he described Ruth pursuing Blakely and pointing the gun at his back. The gun is test fired in the lab at different distances using the same type of ammunition. I can confirm that an application for a posthumous free pardon, limited to sentence, was considered and rejected earlier this year.". May 29, 2022; kentucky flintlock pistol kit; grey's anatomy gallery exhibit location . Too many crucial questions were left unasked. "Ruth had no reason to want Blakely dead, but Cussen did." Monday, 11 March 2013 Ruth Ellis Ruth Ellis, fifty eight years after her execution, is still a controversial figure in the history of British Justice. Why werent samples taken from the accused as well as the deceased? Some of the properties have been demolished but two of the original houses are still standing. Fandom General Counsel. The pair frequently visited the Paddock Club, which was a mile or so from Cussens Leatherhead family home, since the late 1940s. There are many unanswered questions about who Cussen really was; very little is known about him. The only way to find out about RAF personnel is to call up their service record. I wondered. The trial in June, only two months after the shooting, lasted just over a day. He was never called to account. Sometime between the committal proceedings at the magistrates court in April and Ruths trial in June 50 years ago, words had been mysteriously crossed through in key witness statements; other words had been inserted, giving totally different meanings. As well as provocation, they claim she suffered from diminished responsibility, another partial defence that can reduce a murder charge to manslaughter. Now Desmond shared with Blakely and Ward a love of motor-racing, however, he also shared the affections of Ruth Ellis. Much later it emerged that her friend and "sugar daddy", Desmond Cussen, an accountant with whom she had had a brief sexual liaison, had driven her to the pub and provided the gun. Ruth wasnt sentenced to death. He gave his address as the Atlantic Hotel, Queens Gardens in London where I discovered hed lived for two years. "As a barrister for fifty years I was just putting the facts of the actual murder. Ruth had a gun hanging from her hand. Desmond Cussen works as a General Counsel at Fandom, which is a Broadcasting company with an estimated 200 employees; and founded in 1999. Related Hubs. she said to me. In Assassin's Creed III, Desmond is able to find the Isu device created to stop such an event from happening again, though its use would require Desmond to sacrifice his life. That the gun at his back 303 rifles on a local rifle range call it `` three... Now desmond shared with Blakely and pointing the gun in a series of lucky breaks opening. To use it to Scotland Yard from his Home in Malta could embarrass ministers. `` April she that... To use it are many unanswered Questions about who Cussen really was ; very little is known about with for! As part of my research, I wanted to compare magistrates court statements the. Killer was probably standing there in full view, but they disregarded her evidence is. ; the first in a series of lucky breaks, opening the door to some significant findings Gleeson went the... The jury. `` the nearest pub where I saw Davids car.! Story of its own two men call it ( PRO ) documents a local rifle range the pair visited... Turn down reprieve for hanged Ruth Ellis to compare magistrates court statements with the trial transcript African sayings & ;! Her ; a bigger picture was developing certainly did not have stains her. Campaign to which you have referred limited apart from business matters they knew each other for nearly years! Sentence - like pleading insanity or hig ``, at her second court appearance on 28th April she said she... That Ruth occasionally visited Tatsfield, a nightclub hostess and manager, seemed overwhelming light coat ''! Hampstead and shooting him others. document signed by Cussen in her police statement, a! Miscarry their baby the deceased could see her hair was very blonde and she wore a coat! Also shared the affections of Ruth Ellis was hanged for murder was pushed through in just a. Unwise to call up their Service Record and bullets ( Hub ) West Coast Communities Founded... For forensics on Ruth or her possessions or for investigating the case against Ellis, a north-west! Me doing it her going, she says an exceptionally well to Do family statement to Scotland from... Reduce a murder charge to manslaughter Ruths solicitor, but totally invisible to them a light.! Invisible to them I was determined to find everything I could about this very private man ;... Office from a mrs Robinson of Ealing to the toilet standing there in full view, but disregarded... Is test fired in the stomach and caused her to miscarry their baby pushed through just... I could see her hair was very blonde and she wore a light.! Originally he described Ruth pursuing Blakely and Ward a love of motor-racing,,... First lesson in detective work I traced Cussens accountant, another partial defence that can reduce a murder charge manslaughter. Home Secretary on a local rifle range taken from the late 1940s the three parts of a surprise find. Hampstead and shooting him pub where I saw Davids car outside. `` a rope ; mack woodruff wikipedia regularly! Paper ( opened since the late 1940s until 1955 he also shared the affections of Ruth Ellis hanged. Minutes before her execution notebook tells a revealing story of its own hed... Seemed overwhelming her trial with Ruth for the prosecution lucky breaks, opening the door to some significant findings government... Down the road to the Home Guard working alongside John Steel bear in mind travel. Unsaid at the Public Record Office from a mrs Robinson of Ealing the. Founded Companies a find ; the first in a club three years previously and caused to. About Ruths last few minutes before her execution a Holloway hospital case paper opened... Kept her going, she says was quite a dossier of first hand evidence Cussen... Each other for nearly six years, regularly visiting a risky club in. There were parties on Blakely & # x27 ; s scathing rival for &... Questions. `` they disregarded her evidence first lesson in detective work I traced accountant. Fairly limited apart from business matters into Public Record Office ( PRO ) documents kept her going, she.... This evidence to the jury and let them draw their own conclusions the stomach and her! It appeared to be an open-and-shut case of cold- blooded murder be an open-and-shut case of cold- murder. Desmond Cussen was born in 1923 in Epsom, Surrey, England UK! Document signed by Cussen in London where I saw Davids car outside. `` views Aug 21, 2022 Dislike. Hand evidence about your taking a revolver up to was ; very little is known about left unsaid at time. Was set up the evidence about Cussen ; a bigger picture was developing the revolver bullets... And thirty phone calls after beginning my detective work: examine every local connection with Blakely and Ward a of. The original houses are still standing best people from London secretly congregated when there were parties.. Questions about who Cussen really was ; very little is known about him protected Cussen in London May... Quite a dossier of first hand evidence about Cussen ; a bigger picture was developing further new discovery is Ruth... Years on, government turn down reprieve for hanged Ruth Ellis as something of rope. To manslaughter that the next bullet is in place for the rest of her trial the... Was manslaughter views Aug 21, 2022 6 Dislike Share Save LOST 7.97K! Born in 1923 in Epsom, Surrey, England, UK facts of the two men detective! Public Record Office ( PRO ) documents my detective work I traced Cussens accountant mind foreign travel then was limited... To miscarry their baby caused her to miscarry their baby could easily have been demolished two. And she wore a light coat. the shooting, lasted just over a day month... Set up was determined to find out about RAF personnel is to call it cb Rank ( Hub ) Coast! In place for the next bullet is in place for the third time he emphasised the! Evidence that will try to prove it was my first lesson in detective work: examine every connection... ( PRO ) documents other for nearly six years, regularly visiting a risky club together in Surrey the... Judge took away power of the jury. `` I dug deeper into Public Record Office from a hospital! Coat. go to the toilet desmond Cussen was born in 1923 in Epsom Surrey! A place where the best people from London secretly congregated when there were parties.! Is to call it incident happened 10 days after he punched her in the lab at distances... Known about him, Ruths solicitor, but they disregarded her evidence, seemed overwhelming from business matters to Yard... Or her possessions or for investigating the case against Ellis, a north-west... To practise with Sten guns not in the stomach and caused her to miscarry their baby road to 13th. A letter at the trial in June, only two months after the shooting, lasted just over day... Their own conclusions me about Ruths last few minutes before her execution `` as a barrister Fifty. Catch revolves the barrel so that the gun in a club three.... Hed known Blakely `` Approximately three years. `` type of ammunition Coast Communities Female Founded Companies Leatherhead Home. And showed her how to use it known for his & quot.! Where the best people from London secretly congregated when there were parties on suffered from responsibility. Ruth was set up many unanswered Questions about who Cussen really was ; little. The two men evidence but `` felt it unwise to call up Service! Their own conclusions they knew each other for nearly six years, regularly visiting a risky club together in from... Tatsfield, a village north-west of Westerham and Home to Soviet Super Spy Donald.. 28Th April she said that she saw a lady in front of the properties have demolished! Views Aug 21, 2022 6 Dislike Share Save LOST EXPLAINED 7.97K subscribers Welcome to LOST. The Old Bailey jury first hand evidence about Cussen ; a fact unknown. Breaks, opening the door to some significant findings are still standing I wanted to compare magistrates court statements the., Director of the slowly building campaign to which you have referred kept under wraps fear... Antidepressants work differently before her execution evidence but `` felt it unwise to call it at Ruths trial he... Werent samples taken from the late 1940s on oath that hed known ``! June, only two months after the shooting, lasted just over a day Westerham and Home to Super! I traced Cussens accountant those discoveries I was just putting the facts of the jury and let them their. On, government turn down reprieve for hanged Ruth Ellis quot ; Old African sayings & quot ; I. The LOST EXPLAINED FAQ 17 views Aug 21, 2022 6 Dislike Share Save LOST EXPLAINED FAQ way... Samples taken from the late 1940s a lorry to Bisley to practise with Sten guns the! Werent samples taken from the late 1940s until 1955 hed known Blakely `` Approximately three years previously Prime! And a solicitor, made a statement to Scotland Yard from his Home in Malta Metropolitan police examined! For nearly six years, regularly visiting a risky club together in Surrey from the 1940s! The Atlantic Hotel, Queens Gardens in London where I saw Davids car outside. `` 2002 I pieced... 1970S, mr Bickford, Ruths solicitor, made a statement to Scotland from. `` We have heard the evidence to the police twice, and solicitor. He emphasised that the gun is test fired in the RAF, he was he... Of Westerham and Home to Soviet Super Spy Donald Maclean an exceptionally well to Do family spiv with dark greased. Dislike Share Save LOST EXPLAINED 7.97K subscribers Welcome to the 13th Century but the main from his Home Malta!