Harrowing details of the violent abuse suffered by Kiena Dawes at the hands of her thug boyfriend Ryan Wellings before her suicide were often hard to hear as they played out in court.
The trial was told how Wellings assaulted Kiena her while she was pregnant, and issued horrifying threats to drown her in a bath, drill her teeth and ‘make her look like Katie Piper’ by throwing acid on her face.
But throughout the harrowing testimony, one person sat faithfully supporting the convicted bully – his new girlfriend, Emma Croft.
With her long brown hair and pretty face, Croft is the chilling image of his hairdresser ex, who was subjected to a prolonged campaign of abuse before she took her own life and left a note stating ‘Ryan Willings killed me’.
As the verdict was read out today, Wellings is said to have smiled at Croft, who was seated loyally in the public gallery, and blown her a kiss as he was led away after being cleared of manslaughter. All the while, Kiena’s sister could be seen weeping as the verdict was read out.
Monster Wellings was found guilty of coercive control and abuse after Kiena left a suicide note saying she had been been “tortured” until “there was nothing left”.
Kiena Dawes’ 999 call saw her plead ‘I’m absolutely covered in blood’ after ex’s assault
Wellings blew a kiss to Emma Croft as Kiena’s family wept in court
The court heard how Wellings threatened to drill Kienna’s teeth out
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The mum-of-one died by suicide on July 22, 2022, just 11 days after Wellings, 30, carried out his final brutal attack, smashing her against a bathroom radiator and knocking her out by slamming a door in her face. She was only 23 years old.
It’s now emerged that Wellings’ new girlfriend, Emma Croft, and his mother Lisa Green, are now both under police investigation after allegedly “coaching” him before he gave evidence.
While on remand, landscape gardener Wellings made a number of calls to Green and Croft, both of whom attended the trial. While allowed to speak to family and friends from HMP Preston, he was not legally permitted to discuss the case with them.
As per ITV News, Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, told the court: “He has repeatedly discussed the content and nature of the evidence with Emma Croft and Lisa Green, during giving evidence and over the Christmas period.
“The assessment of the prosecution is that the defendant has misconducted himself, as has Lisa Green and Emma Croft. What has occurred here is effectively a scheme to coach the defendant in the evidence he’s giving.
“There’s going to be an investigation into this by the police because, on the face of it, there’s been a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.”
Wellings’ abuse of Kiena included regular slapping and “ragging” by her hair, and jurors were shown photos of Kiena’s injuries, including a cut to her head and a “black eye” sustained while she was heavily pregnant. The court also heard how, in one disturbing incident, Wellings held a drill to Kienna’s face before switching it on and threatening to “drill” her teeth out.
Kiena again broke up with Wellings, who then text: “Can we have sex with each other still? We just be sex buddies?”
The court also heard about messages sent by Kiena to a friend saying that Wellings had threatened to attack her with acid. One message read: “He’s seen my story on Instagram. Said if I don’t delete it and speak to a lad he’ll throw acid in my face.
“His words were ‘You know Fearne McCann? What her boyfriend did? Remember I’ll do the same. I’ll throw acid in your face and watch it burn’.
“He said no one would ever want to look at stretch marks from pregnancy on my hips. I’m a disgusting fat b***h. That’s because I saw him on dating sites.”
A final assault ‘broke’ Kiena
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The court heard how Wellings threatened to make Kiena “look like Katie Piper” by throwing acid in her face, and would also criticise her weight, calling her a “fat little b****”.
Wellings was described by prosecutor Paul Greaney KC as an “entitled, aggressive bully”, while Kiena’s friends referred to him as a “horrible little b******” with a jealous streak. The court heard how Wellings did not like being answered back, which “triggers his anger”.
On top of the physical and emotional abuse, Wellings, who was unable to hold down a job, sponged off Kiena, draining her money. While Kiena worked two jobs, Wellings secured and left 22 jobs. After taking out £15,000 in Covid loans during lockdown, he spent the cash on hotels, £1,800 golf clubs and drugs.
Wellings claimed that Kiena’s accusations against him were either untrue or exaggerated and stated that her injuries were either accidental or a result of his attempts to restrain her.
The defendant told jurors, “I’m not a monster”, but did admit to having been “heavy-handed” with Kiena.
Kiena was left needing hospital treatment after being abused by Wellings
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In her devastating suicide note, which she penned on her phone, 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” and that she wanted her daughter “kept away from the monster who is called her dad.”
A final assault “broke” Kiena, who was left needing hospital treatment. This time, Kiena did make a police statement, with this last assault said to be the “straw that broke the camel’s back”.
Wellings was arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed on condition he not contact Kiena, directly or indirectly. However, after breaking his bail conditions, Wellings was not locked up – a move that is said to have left Kiena feeling let down by officers.
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 rang back, Wellings was on the other end of the line, threatening her.
The mum of one felt ‘let down’ by police officers
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She left behind a heartbreaking suicide note
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Kiena reported this to police as a breach of bail and sent screenshots of abusive texts from Wellings, which stated, “Why the f*** did you tell the police?”
However, as she told how she had rang Anderson’s number back following a missed call, the statement was abruptly stopped, with the officer concluding there had been no breach of bail. Kiena was also told by officers to take down a Facebook post, not naming Wellings, but detailing the domestic violence she had suffered This left Kiena feeling “unsupported” by police, and she was left upset that Wellings had not been “locked up”.
Four days later, she was dead. Now, three Lancashire Police officers will face disciplinary hearings.
A spokesperson for watchdogs, 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.”
The disciplinary hearings for the three police officers involved will now go ahead following the conclusion of Wellings’ trial. Wellings will face sentencing on Thursday, January 16.
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.
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Kiena Dawes: Fiancé guilty of coercive behaviour after young mum takes her own life