It was sickening to play out how Britain's last woman to be hanged was treated

THE actress bringing Ruth Ellis to TV screens says she felt "sickened and helpless" in scenes that used verbatim court statements to show how powerless the murderer was against the system.

- By Mark Jefferies

Lucy Boynton is Ruth Ellis - the last woman hanged in Britain - in four-part drama A Cruel Love starting tonight.

Ellis shot dead her abusive lover David Blakely in 1955. The ITV drama also stars Nigel Havers as his own grandfather, trial judge Sir Cecil Havers.

Lucy, 31, said: "The fascination comes from not understanding how this could happen. Ruth was 28 and David was 25 and there was an emotive response from people.

"Some felt she should be hanged, as they worried other women would want to stand up for themselves. Others knew this was barbaric.

"Ruth was contradictory, electric and an absolute force who's gone after a big, bright life for herself. She has a lack of self-pity and takes ownership of what she's done. She thinks she can handle everything.