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Nigel Havers has been a familiar face on our TV screens since the 1970s but he's never taken on such a personal role as the one he stars in for ITV's drama series A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story, which looks into the real life case of the final woman to be hanged in the UK in 1955. Nigel appears in this Wednesday's episode (March 12) of the four part series in a pivotal role as he plays Cecil Havers, the judge who sentenced Ruth to be executed.
Their matching surname is not a mere coincidence. The Coronation Street star, he played the role of Audrey Roberts' love interest Lewis Archer between 2009 and 2019, is the grandson of Cecil and that the pair have actually spoken about the controversial trial at the Old Bailey.
Speaking to Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on ITV's This Morning about the real life family connection to the case and role, Nigel said: "The family knew all about it, it was discussed a lot because it was famous.
"I say the words, the exact words that my grandfather spoke in court. They are the exact words. And he spent the whole trial really trying to convince [Ruth] to say 'I was defending myself really, he was beating me up all the time'. But no, no [Ruth] said she intended to kill him."
Nigel has also described the conversation he had with his grandfather about the case on BBC Breakfast. In that interview Nigel said: "He told me, and everyone, that he tried to make Ruth say to the jury that 'the man was so cruel to me that in self defence I shot him', and she kept saying 'no no - I knew what I was doing'.
"Whatever he said, she wouldn't go down that road. So his hands were tied, because whatever happened, if you murdered someone in those days, you were hanged."
Ruth didn't want to contest her conviction or her punishment. Indeed, at her trial, she stated: "It is obvious that when I shot him I intended to kill him". It reportedly took the jury just 20 minutes to find her guilty - as at that time they had little other choice.
At the time of the trial, provocation was a very narrowly-interpreted mitigatory defence to murder, applicable only to killers who responded to something happening immediately before attacking – it wasn't until much later that it was opened up to, for example, victims of domestic abuse.
In an earlier 2010 interview, Nigel revealed that his grandfather had written to the Home Secretary recommending Ruth to be pardoned and given a reprieve as he regarded it as a crime of passion, rather than a premeditated murder.
This recommendation was refused, so Cecil subsequently sent money annually for the upkeep of Ruth's son Andre Clare (known as Andy) . On this Nigel said: "I think [my grandfather Cecil] just felt devastated that [Ruth] would no longer be there and the offspring needed some help."
On this Nigel said: "I think [my grandfather Cecil] just felt devastated that [Ruth] would no longer be there and the offspring needed some help."
The barrister and high court judge studied at Cambridge University and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1913. Cecil served in the British Army as a second lieutenant in 1915, but worked his way up to temporary Captain by 1916. After retiring from the Army in 1939, he pursued his legal career and worked on the Ruth Ellis case as High Court Judge in 1955.
A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story is on ITV. Episode two is on Wednesday, March 12 at 9pm on ITV1. You can also catch up on ITVX
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