A young mum who took her own life after reporting domestic abuse ‘felt as if she had no choice’, a court heard.
Hairdresser Kiena Dawes, 23, suffered physical and emotional abuse and was left injured after an alleged attack by her partner on July 11, 2022, a trial heard.
Ryan Wellings, 30, told Preston Crown Court he and Kiena would ‘say nasty things’ and at times he restrained her when she attacked him, resulting in injuries. Over time he became more ‘heavy handed’ he said.
But he insists he did not abuse or assault Kiena and is not responsible for her suicide. Closing the case for the prosecution, Paul Greaney KC said by the time Kiena died on July 22, 2022, she felt she had no other option.
Quoting Dr Kennedy, a consultant psychiatrist who carried out a psychological post mortem, he said: “The abuse weakened the camel’s back, the assault on July 11 broke it.”
Mr Greaney reminded the jury that on July 4, Kiena had been involved in a minor traffic collision as she was so distracted by suicidal thoughts she did not notice the car in front. On July 11 the couple argued after Kiena moved a piece of sandpaper belonging to Wellings as she vacuumed their flat in Fleetwood.
Ryan Wellings
During the row, Wellings said he ‘sat Kiena down like a dog’, claiming she had flown at him with false nails. He also said he called her a ‘fat slag’. However he said the head injury she suffered was either accidental, when he kicked the front door as he left the flat, or Kiena may have caused the injury herself with a wallpaper scraper.
Wellings was arrested on suspicion of ABH and released on bail, however it is alleged he called Kiena from his ex partner’s phone making threats. She was also told to remove a social media post speaking out about the alleged abuse, the jury has been told. Mr Greaney KC said Kiena was vulnerable due to her diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD) and was ground down by Wellings.
He said: “In no way can Kiena’s decision that day be described as free and informed. As a result of the defendant’s treatment of her Kiena felt as if she had no choice. She was a young woman, a young mother, with a background of mental illness and she was abused, bullied, terrorised as she put it.
“She had been persuaded by Ryan Wellings that her mental health meant she was a bad person, that no-one would believe her and that she wouldn’t be allowed to take care of her daughter, that her friends and family wouldn’t support her. She had been persuaded she was a fat slag and a dog to sit on the floor.”
On July 22, Kiena wrote a note on her mobile phone which said: “Ryan Wellings killed me”, describing her daughter’s father as ‘a monster’. An hour later she dropped her baby daughter at a friend’s house, leaving her mobile phone and access code to ensure the note was found. Her body was found at around 1pm. Wellings, of Bispham, denies coercive control, ABH and manslaughter at Preston Crown Court.
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