New lover of ‘torturer’ boyfriend who was accused of driving tragic Kiena Dawes to her death loses her job after he blew her a kiss in court

July 4 – Ms Dawes crashes her car, later telling ambulance operator she saw a train and began thinking about how ‘I wanted to be under the train’ and ‘forgot that I was even on the road’ – she also says she is ‘really suicidal’.

He was arrested for assault but bailed on condition he did not contact her, which he did.

In the note, she also shared her hopes that police would act ‘faster’ in cases like hers – and three police officers are now facing disciplinary proceedings.

‘Police are aware of recent media comments and are staying in close contact with the owners of the salon. Thank you.’

Mar – Wellings grabs her head and dunks her head in the baby bath, prompting her to try to jump out of the window in despair, she later alleges. In court, Wellings denies doing so.

A timeline of tragedy: From the blossoming ‘fairytale’ romance to the claims of ‘domestic abuse’ that led to a mother’s suicide 

Within weeks of first meeting in January 2020, Ryan Wellings – who already had a conviction for battery against his previous partner – had displayed signs of possessive behaviour towards Kiena Dawes.

Ryan Wellings’ (left) new partner, nail technician Emma Croft (right), and his mother Lisa Green now face a police investigation for allegedly ‘coaching’ him to give evidence, following the case at Preston Crown Court

Ms Dawes, pictured, wrote that she hoped her daughter is ‘kept away from the monster who is called her dad’, jurors heard

About 12.50pm – after driving to a railway line near Garstang Kiena she lies in front of a train, suffering fatal injuries. A suicide note found on her phone states: ‘Ryan Wellings killed me.’

They suggested that descriptions of the landscape gardener’s behaviours by her had been either inaccurate, untrue or exaggerated.

July 17 – Ms Dawes dials 999, saying she had a missed call from Wellings’ ex, Ms Anderson, but that when she called it back, Wellings threatened her. However police concluded he hadn’t breached his bail. The following day they advised her to take down her Facebook post, leaving her feeling ‘unsupported by the police’, jurors were told.

Kiena had been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder resulting in increased impulsivity, poor self-esteem and difficulty in relationships, a condition that the court heard was exploited by Wellings.

Feb – Ms Dawes and Wellings both ‘over the moon’ to discover she is pregnant; she stops taking medication for her mental health conditions for the sake of her unborn baby but begins feeling like she has ‘lost the plot’ and is sectioned under the Mental Health Act for three weeks.

May 29 – Wellings in first violent drunken outburst against Ms Dawes after accusing her of sleeping with a friend, throwing footstool at her, smashing wine glasses and allegedly trying to strangle her with a phone charger – Wellings also said to have called Ms Dawes a ‘s**g’ and told her to kill herself.

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For help and support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 for free, completely anonymously or go to samaritans.org 

He also sponged off her, unable to hold down work, securing and leaving 22 jobs and draining her of money while she worked two jobs. Wellings claimed £15,000 in Covid loans during lockdown which he spent on hotels, £1,800 worth of golf clubs and drugs.

Despite being cleared of manslaughter, Wellings was convicted of assault and coercive control for two years of violence and abuse.

May 16 – police watchdog the IOPC completes its investigation into Kiena’s tragic death and the frantic search after she left her baby daughter with a friend, saying one officer had a case to answer for gross misconduct and two officers for misconduct in relation to handling of her reports of domestic abuse.

He added the couple’s ‘party lifestyle’ had been a ‘recipe for disaster’ and their ‘fairytale’ relationship was to end in turmoil because of Wellings’ temper, Ms Dawes’ mental health difficulties, and their joint abuse of cocaine.

Speaking outside Preston Crown Court after the verdicts, Ms Dawes’s mother Angela (pictured) apologised for not getting ‘justice’ 

July 4 – Wellings again aggressive towards Ms Dawes following night out to celebrate pubs reopening after lockdown.

Apr – Ms Dawes kicks Wellings out of the flat for cheating on her, only for his ‘associates’ to threaten to set fire to her car; Wellings changes his Facebook profile picture to one of him sitting in a car and holding a lighter, which he tells his trial was a coincidence – Ms Dawes calls police for first time.

Kiena Dawes wrote in a suicide note: ‘Ryan Wellings killed me’. Wellings was convicted of coercive control and actual bodily harm

Jan – Ms Dawes contacts the National Domestic Abuse Helpline saying Wellings has been ‘physically and emotionally abusive for over a year’ but that she feels unable to stay away from him; she is given details of local domestic violence advisers.

Wellings’ new partner, nail technician Emma Croft, and his mother Lisa Green now also face a police investigation for allegedly ‘coaching’ him to give evidence, following the case at Preston Crown Court.

July 20th – couple move back to Blackpool, with Ms Dawes distraught to learn en route that her beloved father Russell has died.

Kiena Dawes (pictured), 23, went missing from her home in Fleetwood, Lancashire, on July 22, 2022 before taking her own life

Ms Dawes wrote in a suicide note: ‘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.’

Oct – after taking Wellings back yet again, their daughter is born, but within weeks she is messaging him that she is ‘sick of you hitting me’.

‘She’s got this fairytale view of him, but it’s caused so much bad feeling in Blackpool,’ said the friend. ‘The owner of the salon where she worked has had enough of the bad publicity and threatening messages, so she asked Emma to step down and she agreed.’

Late 2021/early 2022 – Wellings switches on a drill and threatens to ‘drill my teeth out of my mouth’, Ms Dawes later alleges – during his trial, he denies ever doing so.

After the case, Harriet Wistrich, Director of the Centre for Women’s Justice, said: ‘Coercive control is a bespoke form of abuse, which targets a victim’s vulnerabilities.

After years of sickening abuse from Ryan Wellings, 30, Kiena Dawes, 23, wrote a suicide note saying, ‘Ryan Wellings killed me’, before leaving their nine-month-old daughter with a friend and taking her own life on a railway line on July 22, 2022.

2020

Aug – Ms Dawes sends messages accusing Wellings of having ‘terrorised’ me, and being a ‘bully’ and a ‘head f***’ who will ‘ruin me’.

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‘Many victims of domestic abuse who take their own lives will have pre-existing vulnerabilities, which are deliberately exploited by their abuser to exert control and inflict harm. The justice system must hold perpetrators accountable for the full scope of their actions.’

Ryan Wellings (pictured) is set to be sentenced on Thursday after being cleared of manslaughter

July 11 – Ms Dawes dials 999 saying Wellings has thrown her into a towel rail and knocked her unconscious in front of their baby daughter in a row sparked by her moving a piece of sandpaper while vacuuming – she later shares images of her bloodied head in a Facebook post which goes viral after her death.

Croft, 28, has agreed to ‘step down’ from her job as at a Beauty Salon in Blackpool after the owner found the controversy surrounding her alleged involvement in the case was harming business, MailOnline can reveal.

Wellings’ defence team insisted the injuries Ms Dawes had suffered before her death had been as a result of Wellings’ attempts to restrain her or had been inflicted accidentally.

She makes a witness statement detailing the abuse but does not sign it, saying she fears she won’t be believed due to her mental health problems. Wellings is arrested on suspicion of assault but declines to answer any questions. The relationship resumes.

January 13 – Wellings is found not guilty of killing Kiena Dawes but convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour and ABH. 

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