A man accused of driving a young mother to suicide through domestic violence has been found guilty of assault and prolonged controlling behaviour but cleared of her manslaughter.
Ryan Wellings, 30, was blamed from “beyond the grave” for the death of his partner, Kiena Dawes.
Wellings denied manslaughter and was found not guilty by a jury after a six-week trial at Preston crown court. He was convicted of assault and of coercive and controlling behaviour and will be sentenced on Thursday.
Dawes, a 23-year-old mother of a nine-month-old baby, took her own life in July 2022, leaving a note on her phone that read: “I fought hard. I fought long. I went through pain no one could imagine … I was murdered. Slowly … Ryan Wellings killed me.”
But the defence barrister, John Jones KC, said Dawes had been a “very troubled young lady” with a history of mental health problems and suicide attempts.
Wellings, who was standing in the dock, made no reaction as the verdicts were read out in silence to a packed courtroom. He then smiled and blew a kiss to his girlfriend in the public gallery as he was led away.
Dawes’ sister wept and her mother looked straight ahead as the defendant was cleared of manslaughter.
Jurors heard that Dawes, a hairdresser from Fleetwood in Lancashire, had experienced two years of violence and abuse at the hands of Wellings.
She had been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder, resulting in increased impulsivity, poor self-esteem and difficulty in relationships, a condition allegedly exploited by the defendant.
The jury heard that the pair met in January 2020 and that Wellings, who had a previous conviction for battering his ex-partner, the mother of his twin girls, had Dawes’ name and face tattooed on his body within a week of meeting. He proposed marriage within three months.
Dawes later said her “fairytale” with Wellings turned into a “nightmare”. His abuse was detailed to the jury in hundreds of text messages between them and from Dawes to her friends.
Jurors heard his abuse included regular slapping and “ragging” by her hair and threats to use a drill to take out her teeth and “make her look like [TV presenter and acid attack survivor] Katie Piper” by throwing acid in her face.
Police were contacted more than once but Wellings threatened Dawes that she would have their daughter taken away if she cooperated with police, so she declined to help prosecute him. Three Lancashire officers are facing disciplinary hearings over their handling of the case.
Outside Preston crown court, her mother, Angela Dawes, said she was sorry that “justice has not been done in the way we all hoped” and paid tribute to her “rare gem” of a daughter.
Kiena was “the kindest, sweetest” person who was missed “every second of every day”, she said, adding that she now had full-time custody of the baby girl her daughter and Wellings had together.
“I honestly cannot put into words just how much it breaks my heart that her beautiful baby girl doesn’t have her mummy here because of that monster,” she said.
She added: “I truly hope that no other young lady or child has to go through what he did to my daughter and her baby. I just wish with all my heart that I could bring her back and say it’s OK – you’re safe now.”
In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org
