Brave mum Kiena Dawes was abused for years at the hands of her violent partner Ryan Wellings, and one horrific attack left her feeling suicidal.
In a trial that finally shed light on the true extent of Wellings’ heinous abuse, jurors heard how he subjected Kiena to a series of terrifying attacks during their on-off relationship, as well as chilling threats to drill her teeth out and throw acid in her face.
Hairdresser Kiena died by suicide on July 22, 2022, leaving a note on her phone which read: “I was murdered. Slowly. They tortured me, till there was nothing left. I lost my fight but I didn’t give up my battle. I fought till the end. Ryan Wellings killed me.”
She was only 23 years old and mother to a young daughter. Wellings, of Fleetwood, Lancashire, denied manslaughter during his trial, telling jurors, “I’m not a monster”. He did, however, admit that he’d been “heavy-handed” with Kiena.
He was today cleared of manslaughter but found guilty of coercive control and abuse after a campaign of terror left Kiena feeling like there was nowhere left to turn.
Kiena Dawes’ monster abuser Ryan Wellings blows new lookalike girlfriend kiss as sister cries
Kiena was just 23 years old when she died
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Lancashire Police)
Wellings subjected the mum-of-one to horrific threats
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Lancashire Police)
In one particularly horrific incident in March 2022, Wellings held Kiena’s head in the baby’s bath water and made a chilling demand, telling her: “Say goodbye to your baby”. Police say the incident left her feeling suicidal.
And just 11 days before Kiena’s tragic death, Wellings “launched” her into a radiator so forcefully that the appliance broke away from the wall. He then slammed a door in Kiena’s face, knocking her unconscious and leaving her in need of hospital treatment for her injuries.
This assault proved to be the “straw that broke the camel’s back”, and Kiena made a police statement, having previously been too frightened to do so due to Wellings’ awful threats. Her abuser was finally arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed on condition he not contact Kiena, either directly or indirectly.
Wellings’ final assault left Kiena requiring hospital treatment
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However, just six days after his arrest, at 2.51 am on July 17, Kiena received a missed call from the number Wellings’ ex-girlfriend, Kayleigh Anderson. When she returned the call, it wasn’t Kayleigh on the other end of the line, but Wellings, who once again threatened her.
Kiena reported this breach of bail to police and sent screenshots of abusive texts from Wellings, which demanded, “Why the f*** did you tell the police?” However, as she told of how she’d returned the missed call, the statement was abruptly stopped, with the police officer concluding there had been no breach of bail.
Officers also told Kiena to take down a Facebook post, which did not name Wellings, but did detail the domestic violence she had suffered This left Kiena feeling “unsupported”, and she was upset that Wellings had not been “locked up”. Four days later, Kiena was dead.
On the day of her death, Kiena left her then-nine-month-old daughter, still in her car seat, at a friend’s house. Kiena left a suicide note on her phone that she had left with her baby, stating that she’d been “tortured” by Wellings until “there was nothing left”.
In her suicide note, Kiena said she’d been ‘tortured’ by Wellings until ‘there was nothing left’
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Kiena wrote: “The end. I fought hard, I fought long. I went through pain no one could imagine. No one will know what I went through. I was murdered. Slowly. They tortured me, till there was nothing left. I lost my fight but I didn’t give up my battle. I fought till the end. Ryan Wellings killed me.”
The note also said: “I hope my life saves another by police services acting faster”, adding that Kiena had wanted her daughter to be “kept away from the monster who is called her dad.”
Three Lancashire Police officers will now face disciplinary hearings. A spokesperson for watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said: “Our investigation into the contact between Lancashire Constabulary and Kiena Dawes, before her death is complete.
“We examined the police response to Miss Dawes being reported missing, as well as the police response to earlier reports that she had been the victim of assaults.
“Following the conclusion of our investigation in July 2023, we found one officer had a case to answer for gross misconduct and two officers had a case to answer for misconduct relating to actions or omissions connected to Ms Dawes’s reports of domestic abuse.
“We found no case to answer for a fourth officer who was under investigation for potential misconduct. It is for Lancashire Constabulary to arrange police disciplinary hearings which will determine the outcome. Our thoughts remain with Miss Dawes’ loved ones and all those affected by her death.”
And following today’s verdict, DCI Andy Fallows, of Lancashire Police, said: “Kiena Dawes was a devoted and loving mother who, despite her personal challenges, was determined to give her baby girl the best life she could.
“Ryan Wellings took Kiena’s love and in return launched a concerted campaign of emotional, mental and physical abuse. Over a two-and-a-half-year period, Wellings broke her spirit. He isolated Kiena, belittled and abused her, controlled her, subjected her to violence and made her believe that she would never escape him.
“Although today’s headlines will understandably be about Ryan Wellings and today’s verdict, I don’t want Kiena, the victim, to get lost or forgotten about. Kiena was a fun-loving, kind and sensitive young woman who had her whole life ahead of her. She was a mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend who died in extremely tragic circumstances.” Wellings, of Bispham, Lancs, will be sentenced on Thursday, January 16.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit ** www.aafda.org.uk**.
If you’re finding things tough and need someone to talk to, the Samaritans are always there. You can call their free helpline at any time on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit their website to find your nearest branch.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com
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