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Domestic abuse perpetrator Ryan Wellings cleared of manslaughter – Channel 4 News

Domestic abuse perpetrator Ryan Wellings cleared of manslaughter – Channel 4 News

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Authors: Jamie Roberton and Frances Read

A perpetrator of domestic violence accused of driving a young mother to suicide was cleared of manslaughter.

Ryan Wellings was convicted of subjecting Kiena Dawes to prolonged abuse and domestic assault, but was acquitted of the more serious charge.

This was the first time a defendant had tried before a jury, accused of unlawfully killing his partner following a domestic violence-related suicide.

Kiena Dawes, 23, of Fleetwood, left her nine-month-old daughter in a car seat at her friend’s house in July 2022, with a note in which she wrote: “I have been murdered. Slowly. Ryan Wellings killed me.”

The hairdresser was later found dead on a railway line in Lancashire.

Dawes’ sister cried and her mother stared straight ahead as the defendant was acquitted of manslaughter in front of a packed courtroom.

Wellings smiled and blew a kiss to his current girlfriend in the public gallery as he was led away.

Campaign of abuse

Wellings almost immediately began a sustained campaign of abuse against Dawes from the very beginning of their “intense relationship” in 2020, the court heard.

The gardener had Dawes’ name and face tattooed on his body within weeks and proposed within three months, but he soon “assaulted, abused and humiliated” her.

Dawes knew she had mental health problems – including an emotionally unstable personality disorder – before meeting Wellings, but prosecutors said he “thoroughly and horribly exploited” her vulnerability.

The 23-year-old told friends and police about numerous brutal attacks, including strangling her with an iPhone charger cable, turning on a drill into her face and dipping her head in the bathtub before running to get her daughter.

Disturbing mental attacks were also documented, during which Wellings threatened to throw Dawes’ late father’s ashes out of a window and told her to kill herself.

The perpetrator made fun of his partner, saying that they would never believe her due to her mental state and that any report about him would result in her daughter being taken away from her.

Wellings also told Dawes: “I’ll throw acid in your face and watch you burn.”

The young mother later told one of her friends that her “fairy tale turned into a nightmare.”

“Why I Live This Way”

The aftermath of Wellings’ final attack, which occurred 11 days before Dawes’ suicide, was recreated for the jury.

A bloodied Dawes describes to police officers how Wellings smashed the door in her face, leaving her unconscious and waking up to her daughter’s screams.

Dawes is heard saying: “I don’t want her (Kiena’s daughter) to grow up like that – I don’t know why I’m living this life now.”

Wellings was arrested but was later charged with breaching bail conditions by using his ex-girlfriend’s phone to call and threaten Dawes.

The prosecution said the lack of action by police in response to the apparent breach of bail rules left Dawes feeling “let down”.

In her last note, the 23-year-old referred to the alleged police misconduct, writing: “I hope my life will be saved by the police acting more quickly.”

Mrs Dawes’ brother Kynan told The Sun in May last year: ‘They have let Kiena down in life.

“Despite countless reports, she felt that the police were doing nothing to help her. Her attacker was still out on bail, and she had nowhere to turn. She lost hope.”

Three Lancashire Police officers face disciplinary action “in relation to their actions or omissions in relation to Mrs Dawes’ reports of domestic violence” following an investigation by the watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

“I’m sorry I let you go.”

The note left by Dawes was also addressed to her daughter. Dawes wrote: “I’m sorry I let you go… the world has turned its back on me. I was strong. I had dreams. At one point I had a future. That was taken away from me.”

In the note, she added that she hoped her daughter was “kept away from the monster called her dad.”

Within hours of being charged with manslaughter, a video was posted on Facebook of Wellings in a car drinking Prosecco, singing about the accusation and blaming Dawes’ family for her death.

“We see the real Ryan Wellings here – Ryan Wellings, the bully,” prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the court.

An unprecedented attempt

Only one defendant was successfully charged with manslaughter following the suicide of a domestic violence victim.

In 2017, Nicholas Allen pleaded guilty to the murder of his former partner Justene Reece, who prosecutors said was “skeleton” by the end of their relationship.

Wellings was the first to be tried by a jury on the charge.

Channel 4 News reports on the evolving link between domestic violence and suicide, with a growing number of families refusing to accept that a victim’s decision to end their life closes the path to justice.

A recent study found that the number of suspected suicide victims has surpassed intimate partner homicides for the first time, with the Domestic Violence Commissioner calling it “devastating” and a “public health problem”.

Kate Brown, CPS domestic abuse lead, told Channel 4 News: “We are actively looking at a number of cases with a view to bringing a similar type of prosecution.

“If there is evidence that your actions caused the death of a victim who felt he had to take his own life, we will press charges.”

Dawes’ mother speaks out

In a speech to the court after the verdict, Angela Dawes, Kiena’s mother, said her daughter “brought so much love and kindness into the world to everyone who loved her.”

“I sincerely hope that no other young lady or child will have to go through what he did to my daughter and her child. I wish with all my heart that I could bring her back and say, “It’s okay, you’re safe now.”

“While no conviction for manslaughter was reached today, the case and the convictions for control and coercion and assault clearly demonstrate that perpetrators of domestic violence will be held accountable.”

Chief Inspector Andy Fallows, of Lancashire Police, said: “Kiena Dawes was a devoted and loving mother who, despite her personal challenges, was determined to give her daughter the best life she could.

“Ryan Wellings took away Kiena’s love and instead launched a concerted campaign of emotional, psychological and physical abuse. Within two and a half years, Wellings had her spirit broken.

“He isolated Kiena, humiliated and abused her, controlled her, subjected her to violence and told her that she would never escape him.”