The mom of a ‘lovely’ girl who killed herself after enduring years of sickening abuse from her fiancé at this time apologised to her late daughter for failing to get ‘justice’ after he was cleared of manslaughter.
Kiena Dawes, 23, had written a suicide observe saying, ‘Ryan Wellings killed me’, earlier than leaving their nine-month-old daughter with a buddy and taking her personal life on a railway line on July 22, 2022.
Jurors heard how Wellings repeatedly lash out on the hairdresser, beating her whereas she was pregnant along with his youngster, in addition to threatening to drown her in a shower, drill her enamel and ‘make her seem like Katie Piper’ by dousing her with acid.
The 30-year-old additionally urged Ms Dawes to kill herself, boasted that ‘hitting you is like hitting a person’ and, on one event, dunked her head in a shower and mentioned: ‘Say goodbye to your child’.
He was the primary defendant to be tried earlier than a jury accused of the illegal killing of his accomplice after her suicide following home violence, however was discovered not responsible at Preston Crown Court docket.
The unrepentant abuser turned and blew a kiss to his new girlfriend as the decision was learn out, whereas Ms Dawes’ sister burst into tears.
Regardless of being cleared of manslaughter, Wellings was convicted of assault and coercive management for 2 years of violence and abuse.
Talking exterior courtroom after the verdicts, Ms Dawes’ mom, Angela, condemned Wellings as a ‘monster’, including: ‘In the present day was for you Kiena. I’m sorry that your voice has not been totally heard and that justice has not been achieved in the best way all of us hoped.’
Kiena Dawes (pictured), 23, went lacking from her residence in Fleetwood, Lancashire, on July 22, 2022 earlier than taking her personal life
Ryan Wellings (pictured) was accused of finishing up a two-and-a-half 12 months marketing campaign of home abuse which led her to kill herself. However a jury has cleared him of manslaughter
Talking exterior Preston Crown Court docket after the verdicts, Ms Dawes’ mom Angela (pictured) apologised for not getting ‘justice’
Simply 11 days earlier than her suicide, Ms Dawes suffered an horrific head wound after being attacked by her accomplice (Ms Dawes is seen with blood over her face in a picture launched at this time by police)
In an emotional assertion surrounded by household, she added: ‘I am discovering it virtually unattainable to place it into phrases simply how huge of an impression shedding Kiena has been on all of the household, her lovely child woman and all of her buddies.
‘Kiena was a uncommon gem, she introduced a lot love and kindness to this world and to everybody that beloved her.
‘She was an especially lovely woman and was fairly actually the sweets, kindest, gentlest individual I’ve ever identified.
‘Kiena, we miss you so very a lot, each second of every single day. Her child woman was delivered to my residence a couple of hours after Kiena was discovered and has been in my full time care each since that tragic day.
‘I can’t put it into phrases simply how a lot it breaks my coronary heart that her lovely child woman would not have her mummy right here due to that monster.
‘I’ll always remember the day when three CID officers got here to my home shortly after I misplaced Kiena, and I merely mentioned ‘Ryan Wellings killed my child and I’ll struggle for her justice’.
‘I actually hope that no different younger girl or youngster has to undergo what he did to my daughter and her child.
‘I simply want with all my coronary heart that I might deliver her again and say ‘It is OK, you might be secure now’.
‘Though a manslaughter conviction has not been achieved at this time, the case and convictions of controlling and coercing behaviour and assault clearly exhibit the perpetrators of home abuse shall be held to account and imprisoned for what they’ve achieved.
‘It can’t deliver again my child woman as this has occurred all too late for her.’
The trial heard that on one incident simply 11 days earlier than Ms Dawes’ dying, on July 11, 2022 he ‘launched’ her right into a radiator with such pressure it broke the equipment off the wall, then slammed a door in her face – knocking her out and leaving her with blood pouring from her head.
She referred to as police a minimum of 5 instances reporting home issues with Wellings. Whereas she steadily downplayed her abuse to officers – resulting from threats from her accomplice – she did make a press release in regards to the assault on July 11.
Ring video exhibits Ms Dawes strolling as much as the door of her buddy’s home together with her youngster in a service
Kiena Dawes (pictured) took her personal life on July 22, 2022, after leaving the couple’s nine-month-old daughter with a buddy
Ms Dawes’ was left with a one inch gash on her brow after Wellings slammed a door in her face throughout a row simply 11 days earlier than she took her life
He was arrested for assault however bailed on situation he didn’t contact her, which he did.
Ms Dawes wrote in a suicide observe: ‘I used to be murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined each little bit of energy I had left. I had goals. I had a future at one level. That was taken away from me.’
Within the observe, she additionally shared her hopes that police would act ‘sooner’ in instances like hers – and three cops are actually going through disciplinary proceedings.
The 2 offences Wellings was convicted of every have most phrases of 5 years. It will probably now be revealed that his mom, Lisa Inexperienced, and girlfriend, Emma Croft, are each beneath police investigation for allegedly ‘teaching’ him to provide proof.
The prosecution claimed that Wellings took benefit of Ms Dawes’s vulnerability – on account of points together with her psychological well being – and was repeatedly violent and abusive in the direction of her.
He additionally sponged off her, unable to carry down work, securing and leaving 22 jobs and draining her of cash whereas she labored two jobs. Wellings claimed £15,000 in Covid loans throughout lockdown he spent on motels, £1,800 golf golf equipment and medicines.
This abuse was a ‘important issue’ in her resolution to take her personal life, prosecutors mentioned. She was later discovered lifeless on railway tracks, close to Garstang, Lancashire, after being hit by a practice.
Wellings’ defence group insisted the accidents Ms Dawes had suffered earlier than her dying had been on account of Wellings’ makes an attempt to restrain her or had been inflicted by accident.
They advised that descriptions of the panorama gardener’s behaviours by her had been both inaccurate, unfaithful or exaggerated.
They usually claimed that regardless of the younger mom’s relationship together with her accomplice being a ‘recipe for catastrophe’ – Wellings was not responsible of driving her to suicide via home violence.
Defence counsel John Jones KC advised Preston Crown Court docket Ms Dawes’ suicide was not triggered ‘in any important diploma’ by his consumer.
He added the couple’s ‘celebration life-style’ had been a ‘recipe for catastrophe’ and their ‘fairytale’ relationship was to finish in turmoil due to Wellings’ mood, Ms Dawes’ psychological well being difficulties, and their joint abuse of cocaine.
‘This corrosive and harmful mixture was to deliver heartache to them each, and dying to 1,’ Mr Jones advised the jury.
‘It was a recipe for catastrophe. Psychological well being on one aspect, drug abuse and mood on the opposite.
‘We all know that. They didn’t know or admire it on the time, that is the purpose.
‘You could decide what triggered that dying. We are saying it was not triggered in any important diploma by Ryan Wellings.’
Mr Jones mentioned on ‘4 if not 5’ events, Ms Dawes had made ‘clear and decided’ suicide makes an attempt, and that a minimum of three of these have been earlier than she ever met Wellings.
He advised the jury the prosecution case was ‘predicated on the assertion’ that however for the behaviour of the defendant, Ms Dawes wouldn’t have taken her personal life.
Throughout the trial, jurors have been advised that after being charged with manslaughter, Wellings downed a bottle of prosecco and went on a cocaine binge earlier than recording a vile video taunting Ms Dawes’ grieving household.
Within the clip, shared on Fb, the panorama gardener blamed Ms Dawes’ mom for her daughter’s dying and referred to as her a ‘f****** s**g’.
The video confirmed Wellings being pushed in a automotive, sporting sun shades and holding a bottle, saying: ‘I am driving round with a bottle of prosecco.
‘I’ve been advised off an hour in the past on a manslaughter cost. It is all f****** s***.
‘Angela Dawes (Kiena’s mom), you’ll want to take the blame for abandoning your daughter and going to Greece.
‘You’re a f****** s**g.’
Ms Dawes, who had struggled with poor psychological well being, first met Wellings in January 2020 and was ‘swept off her ft’, her mom advised the courtroom.
Inside per week Wellings would have a tattoo of her title and face on his physique and after simply three months he would suggest.
However buddies of Ms Dawes mentioned the ‘fairytale’ relationship quickly ‘changed into a nightmare’, with Wellings violently attacking her whereas she was pregnant.
Wellings – who was branded a ‘bully’ in courtroom – had threatened to make use of a drill on her enamel and douse her in acid to disfigure her, jurors have been advised. He had even tried to drown her in a child tub throughout one explosive assault, the courtroom heard.
The 30-year-old would accuse Ms Dawes of dishonest on him and threatened to toss her late father’s ashes out of the window throughout one row.
In February 2021, Ms Dawes found she was pregnant with Wellings’ youngster, later saying each have been ‘over the moon’.
From that time she stopped taking her medicine and her psychological well being took a ‘downturn’, she later mentioned in an unsigned police assertion.
The courtroom heard a ‘sample’ developed of Wellings being ‘aggressive and violent’ earlier than ‘showering’ Ms Dawes with affection
‘The emotional abuse was each day,’ she mentioned.
‘He would discuss to different girls on social media and was dishonest.’
Ms Dawes’ psychological well being situation resulted in elevated impulsivity, poor shallowness and problem in relationships, the courtroom heard.
Whereas she suffered from emotionally unstable persona dysfunction, Wellings ‘exploited’ her vulnerability and ‘made it worse’.
The courtroom heard a ‘sample’ developed of Wellings being ‘aggressive and violent’ earlier than ‘showering’ Ms Dawes with affection.
Wellings would name her ‘a psychopath and a freak’ and inform her the child could be taken off her after she was born, she mentioned.
‘Ultimately, it was to grind Kiena down,’ Mr Greaney mentioned.
A closing assault on July 11, 2022 – simply 11 days earlier than her suicide on the West Coast Foremost Line close to Garstang, Lancashire – proved a ‘important issue’ in her resolution to take her personal life, Mr Greaney added.
In a textual content message to a buddy, despatched three days earlier than her suicide, a despondent Ms Dawes wrote: ‘I used to be in hospital longer than he was within the cells. The world is f****d and I hate it.’
Throughout the trial, jurors have been advised how police had beforehand put in panic alarms and altered the locks at her residence after an assault in March 2022.
Wellings mentioned when his relationship with Ms Dawes was good it was ‘excellent’, but it surely was dangerous at instances a results of their ‘celebration life-style’
She mentioned Wellings had punched a wall, thrown a steak on the wall and ‘tried to drown her within the child tub’.
Police made safeguarding referrals for Ms Dawes and her child daughter, who was within the flat on the time.
Nonetheless on July 11, a row broke out between Ms Dawes and Wellings when she moved a few of his belongings whereas vacuuming.
Throughout the argument, Wellings demanded that Ms Dawes return the engagement ring he had given her then threw it out of the window.
With their daughter ‘screaming’ on the couch, she managed to push Wellings out of the flat, she later advised police, just for him to fling the door open, inflicting her to black out.
Jurors have been proven graphic accidents of the gashed brow Ms Dawes sustained, with blood pouring down her face.
Wellings was arrested on suspicion of ABH, telling officers that Ms Dawes had attacked him and sustained the accidents whereas he was making an attempt to get out of the flat.
He was launched on bail with situations which included not contacting Ms Dawes.
Nonetheless, on July 17 she obtained a name from his former accomplice, Kayleigh Anderson – somebody who Wellings had beforehand been convicted of attacking.
It didn’t join, however Ms Dawes referred to as the quantity again, then dialled 999 saying Wellings had been on the opposite finish ‘threatening her’, solely to be advised that the decision didn’t quantity to a breach of his bail situations.
After her dying, jurors heard how Wellings taunted Ms Dawes’ household with a video clip – shared throughout a booze a medication binge shortly after being charged with manslaughter.
Prosecutor Mr Greaney advised Wellings he uploaded the video ‘on goal to intimidate the Dawes household and present them who’s boss’.
‘What we see there’s the actual Ryan Wellings. Ryan Wellings the bully,’ the prosecutor added.
‘The entitled individual. The one who thinks he can do what he needs to folks and say what he needs.’
Wellings replied: ‘I didn’t know what I used to be doing. I do know I did fallacious and did some silly issues. That is me hurting. Being blamed for killing my child’s mum, the girl I beloved.’
The defendant mentioned he was sleep-deprived and had downed bottles of prosecco and brought medication on the time however maintained he uploaded the video to Fb by chance and later deleted it.
Mr Greaney moved on to the suicide observe left by Ms Dawes.
He identified she didn’t blame her household for her dying, writing: ‘I’ll all the time love my household. I really like them unconditionally.’
Mr Greaney mentioned the observe blamed Wellings for her dying, calling him a ‘monster’ and a ‘bully’.
‘She says you killed her in that observe, simply hours earlier than she took her personal life.
‘On the time Kiena took her personal life, she was enthusiastic about you and regarded you as a monster.’
The ‘vibrant and fashionable’ hairdresser was ‘floor down’ by two-and-a-half years of home violence , a jury was advised
Ms Dawes together with her child, in a photograph launched by Lancashire Police
The younger mom was discovered lifeless by British Transport Police on the railway line close to Barnacre on July 2
Wellings, wiping away tears, replied: ‘I am not a monster. By no means have been.’
In the present day, choose Altham thanked jurors for his or her time and excused them from additional jury service, ought to they need, for the following 15 years.
Wellings shall be sentenced on Thursday.
Home violence charity Refuge referred to as for ‘improved recognition of how home abuse can immediately trigger trauma and suicide’ within the wake of Wellings being acquitted of manslaughter.
The organisation mentioned that, on common, one girl in England and Wales is killed by accomplice or ex-partner each 5 days, and an estimated 3 girls die by suicide every week resulting from being subjected home abuse.
Julia Dwyer, Head of Companies at Refuge, mentioned: ‘Refuge is devastated by the dying of Kiena Dawes in 2022. Kiena confronted horrific abuse and violence perpetrated by Ryan Wellings, discovered not responsible of manslaughter however convicted of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour. In gentle of at this time’s conviction, we stay steadfast in our place that there’s an simple hyperlink between home abuse and suicide.
‘The trauma that may develop on account of home abuse can’t be underestimated. A Refuge research, in collaboration with the College of Warwick, discovered that 83% of people that used Refuge’s providers reported emotions of despair or hopelessness – a key determinant for suicidality.
‘At the least 24% mentioned they’d felt suicidal at one time or one other, with 18% sharing that they’d made plans to finish their life. And but, regardless of the extreme impression that home abuse can have on the psychological wellbeing of those that expertise it, deaths by suicide should not formally recognised as home abuse-related deaths.
‘On common, 1 girl in England and Wales is killed by accomplice or ex-partner each 5 days, and an estimated 3 girls die by suicide every week resulting from being subjected home abuse.
‘Whereas these figures alone are actually harrowing, we count on these to characterize the tip of the iceberg as deaths attributable to home abuse proceed to be severely under-reported.
‘Refuge stands in solidarity with Kiena’s household, and everybody who has been affected by home abuse. Improved recognition of how home abuse can immediately trigger trauma and suicide is paramount in making certain as many victims/survivors as attainable are capable of get justice, and we are going to proceed to marketing campaign for a world the place no extra lives are taken by the crime that’s home abuse.’
DCI Andy Fallows, of Lancashire Police, mentioned: ‘Kiena Dawes was a faithful and loving mom who, regardless of her private challenges, was decided to provide her child woman the very best life she might.
‘Ryan Wellings took Kiena’s love and in return launched a concerted marketing campaign of emotional, psychological and bodily abuse. Over a two-and-a-half-year interval, Wellings broke her spirit.
‘He remoted Kiena, belittled and abused her, managed her, subjected her to violence and made her consider that she would by no means escape him.
‘I wish to thank the jury for his or her thought of verdict in what has been an especially harrowing and sophisticated case. Whereas we and Kiena’s household are dissatisfied that they did not come again with a manslaughter verdict, we’re happy the jury recognised that Wellings was responsible of felony wrongdoing by the responsible verdicts they did come again with at this time.
‘I wish to reward the Dawes’ household for the dignified method through which they’ve behaved throughout this extremely emotional trial. Day after day they’ve sat in courtroom and listened to the actually abhorrent method through which Wellings behaved in the direction of Kiena.
‘Whereas classes will undoubtedly be discovered from this case, I wish to take this chance to attraction on to anybody who finds themself in an abusive relationship or is aware of or suspects another person may be. Please make contact with the authorities or attain out to home abuse organisations for assist and help.
‘Though at this time’s headlines will understandably be about Ryan Wellings and at this time’s verdict, I do not need Kiena, the sufferer, to get misplaced or forgotten about. Kiena was a fun-loving, sort and delicate younger girl who had her entire life forward of her. She was a mom, daughter, sister, granddaughter and buddy who died in extraordinarily tragic circumstances.’
Ms Dawes, pictured, wrote that she hoped her daughter is ‘refrained from the monster who known as her dad’, jurors heard
A spokesman for the Impartial Workplace for Police Conduct (IOPC) mentioned: ‘Our investigation into the contact between Lancashire Constabulary and Kiena Dawes, earlier than her dying is full.
‘We examined the police response to Miss Dawes being reported lacking, in addition to the police response to earlier studies that she had been the sufferer of assaults.
‘Following the conclusion of our investigation in July 2023, we discovered one officer had a case to reply for gross misconduct and two officers had a case to reply for misconduct referring to actions or omissions linked to Ms Dawes’s studies of home abuse.
‘We discovered no case to reply for a fourth officer who was beneath investigation for potential misconduct.
‘It’s for Lancashire Constabulary to rearrange police disciplinary hearings which is able to decide the result.
‘Our ideas stay with Miss Dawes’ family members and all these affected by her dying.’
The disciplinary hearings for the three officers concerned will now go forward after the conclusion of Wellings’ trial, following which he was cleared of manslaughter however convicted of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour.
Samaritans can be found on 116 123 or at www.samaritans.org
