DCI Davies was the detective in charge of solving the Ruth Ellis case, which saw a nightclub manager of the same name murder her ex-lover.
Ruth’s crime and subsequent execution rocked Britain and forms the basis for the new ITV drama A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story.
Ruth murdered David Blakely on Easter Sunday 1953Getty Images
David Blakely was a racecar driverCorbis – Getty
Investigating Ruth Ellis
DCI Davies first became aware of Ruth Ellis after she committed her shocking crime in London.
On Easter Sunday, April 10, 1955, Ruth took a taxi to find her ex-lover David Blakely.
The couple’s relationship had been extremely violent and Ruth had been subjected to horrifying abuse by Blakely.
Just three months earlier, Blakely had struck Ruth and caused her to have a miscarriage.
Upon finding Blakely on April 10, the nightclub manager fired six times with her revolver.
Although she missed the first time, her second bullet made him collapse.
Then, she stood over Blakely and killed him.
When the police rushed to the scene, Ruth simply said: “I am guilty, I’m a little confused.”
Ruth’s shocking trial
While being investigated by DCI Davies, Ruth made no effort to deny her crime.
On June 20, 1953, she appeared at the Old Bailey with strikingly blonde, dyed hair and a black suit much to the chagrin of her defending council.
She was asked if she meant to kill her ex-lover and replied simply.
Ruth said: “It’s obvious when I shot him I intended to kill him”.
The jury reached their verdict within 20 minutes and Ruth was sentenced to death.
Although she was found to have no signs of mental illness, Ruth had battled against abuse for her entire life.
She had been abused by her father as a child, forcing her to leave school at just 14-years-old.
At the age of 18, she had a child and was forced to work as a nude model and escort in order to support her son.
Sadly, Ruth was executed on July 13, 1955.
However, she was the last woman to ever be hanged in the UK as her case caused public outcry at capital punishment.
Crowds formed outside of Holloway Prison where Ruth was executedTimes Newspaper Ltd
A Cruel Love
In ITV’s new drama A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, DCI Davies will be played by Joe Armstrong.
Fans may recognise Joe from several other ITV dramas including Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack.
Ruth will be played by Lucy Boynton and the pair will be joined by Mr Bates vs The Post Office star Toby Jones.
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