Tragic mum Kiena Dawes, who was driven to death by an abusive partner, left a devastating message from beyond the grave saying that she felt she had no choice but to end her life to escape the torment.
The 23 year old fell deeply in love with Ryan Wellings, 30, after they were introduced by her brother in January 2020, and their relationship was initially “intense” and all-consuming. However, the romance soon turned into a living “nightmare” as Wellings subjected the young hairdresser to relentless physical and emotional abuse, slowly destroying her confidence and will to live.
Despite attempting to seek help on several occasions, Kiena’s fear of her controlling partner always held her back, and on July 22, 2022, she was found dead after a prolonged period of suffering at his hands.
In a heartbreaking twist, it emerged that Kiena had been so consumed by despair in the final weeks of her life that she had even crashed her car on July 4, telling paramedics that she had been distracted by suicidal thoughts. The trigger for her tragic death followed a violent row with Wellings just days later on July 11, sparked by a trivial argument over some belongings she had moved while cleaning.
This week, Wellings was found guilty of subjecting Kiena to a campaign of domestic abuse, including assault and coercive behaviour, although he was cleared of manslaughter. Wellings demanded the return of the engagement ring he had given her and hurled it out the window, the court was told.
‘I hope my life saves another by police services acting faster’
Amidst their daughter’s cries, she managed to eject Wellings from the flat, only for him to violently reopen the door, hitting her in the face and causing her to lose consciousness. With blood streaming down her face, she made a frantic 999 call stating that Wellings had “launched” her into a bathroom radiator, detaching it from the wall, and had slammed a door on her face, rendering her unconscious and leaving a deep cut on her head, reports the Mirror.
In her statement to the police, Kiena – who had been diagnosed with a personality disorder leading to increased impulsivity, low self-esteem, and relationship difficulties – recounted that Wellings had branded her a “schizophrenic freak”.
PC Sawyer described the bloody scene upon arrival at the flat around 10.30pm: “There was blood on the floor in the communal corridor. She was covered in blood, on her hands, on her face. She was upset and she was crying. She had a cut to the right side of her head.
“There was a broken towel rail in the bathroom.”
Despite previous domestic incidents reported to the police during their tumultuous relationship, Kiena had not pressed charges, fearing Wellings’ threats of losing their child. However, following the assault on July 11, she bravely gave a statement which led to Wellings’ arrest.
Despite being on bail with explicit orders not to contact Ms Dawes, he phoned her with menacing threats in the early hours of July 17. She reported the incident to police who did not recognise it as a breach of bail, leading her to feel “unsupported”.
Just three days before her tragic death, she texted a friend: “I was in hospital longer than he was in the cells. The world is f****d and I hate it.”
This final attack was identified by Prosecutor Mr Greaney as a decisive factor in her choice to end her life. On July 22, after leaving her nine-month-old baby at a friend’s, the mother took a devastating step.
Caught on Ring camera footage, she is seen entering the house with her infant before her friend could emerge from the shower. Inside, she left her daughter with a chilling letter stating: “I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me.
“He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I didn’t deserve it. I hope my life saves another by police services acting faster. Don’t let bullies live free.”
She had also scribed a heartbreaking suicide note on her phone expressing: “The end. I fought hard, I fought long. I went through pain no one could imagine. I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I had dreams. I had a future at one point. That was taken away from me.”
The jury was presented with hundreds of text messages revealing the extent of the horrific abuse. Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC described him as an “entitled, aggressive bully”, while friends of Ms Dawes referred to him as a “horrible little b*****d” with a jealous streak.
They noted his dislike for being answered back, which would “trigger his anger”. His abuse towards Ms Dawes included regular slapping, pulling her by the hair, and threats to use a drill on her teeth.
He even threatened to disfigure her with acid, saying he’d “make her look like Katie Piper”. He also financially exploited her, securing and leaving 22 jobs, draining her finances while she worked two jobs.
After she fell pregnant, Wellings gave her a black eye and began criticising her weight, calling her a “fat little b***h” while contacting escorts and prostitutes online. Friends and her mother, Angela Dawes, urged her to distance herself from the toxic Wellings, but a cycle of breaking up and making up ensued.
He would excuse his behaviour, saying, “It was only a slap,” and apologising profusely. Defence counsel John Jones KC told the jury that the couple’s “party lifestyle” had been a “recipe for disaster”.
“This corrosive and destructive combination was to bring heartache to them both, and death to one,” Mr Jones said.
“Mental health on one side, drug abuse and temper on the other. We know that. They did not know or appreciate it at the time, that’s the point. You must determine what caused that death. We say it was not caused in any significant degree by Ryan Wellings.”
Kiena had been described as a “very troubled young lady” who decided to end her life not because of Wellings, but because of “multiple factors”. She had also made a number of suicide attempts in the past, before she met him.
After the conviction of Wellings, Kiena’s heartbroken mother Angela Dawes said: “I’m finding it almost impossible to put into words how big of an impact losing Kiena has been. Kiena was a rare gem. She brought so much love and kindness to this world, into everyone who loved her. She was an extremely beautiful girl and was quite truly the sweetest, kindest and gentlest person I have ever known.”
Three Lancashire Police officers now face misconduct hearings after revelations that Kiena sought help multiple times regarding Wellings’ behaviour throughout his two-and-a-half years of abusing her.
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