Kiena Dawes used a note disguised as a shopping list in her phone to detail the campaign of abuse she suffered at the hands of Ryan Wellings.
The 30-year-old, branded “a monster” by her heartbroken mum, was apprehended by police after Kiena tragically took her own life following two years of domestic abuse and violence. Wellings, a landscape gardener from Bispham, was found guilty of assault and prolonged domestic violence towards the tormented young mum, but cleared of her manslaughter following a trial.
In July 2022, after leaving their eight-month-old daughter with a friend, Kiena drove to a nearby railway line. She left behind a note that read “I was murdered” and that Wellings had “killed me”.
In the separate ‘shopping list’, Kiena listed dozens of examples of Wellings insulting and humiliating her. At the top it says ‘Food – tomatoes’.
However, it then details all the insults Wellings threw her way. She wrote ‘You think your better than everyone’, ‘Your a dosser’, ‘You had nothing’ and ‘You had f*** all your whole life’.
Other insults include ‘You do shit haircuts’, ‘You are a fat little f***’ and ‘You feel sorry for yourself everyday because you’ve had a s**t life. Get over it’.
She also wrote how Wellings accused her of cheating: “I slept with his uncle whilst I was pregnant that’s why my nails fell off I was sh**** in the hot tub” and “I slept with his friend for a pair of shoes.”
And she recorded how he held a drill to her face: “Had a drill in my face turned on. Wanted to drill the teeth out of my mouth.” Another note said: “I put a picture on Instagram so he said he would throw acid all over my face and watch it burn, I’ll never be able to take selfies again.”
While others said ‘I will throw you out of a window and make it look like you killed yourself’, ‘I will throw your dad’s ashes out of the window with you’. And one final note said: “If you tell the police about me they won’t believe you because your crazy I’ll tell them you’re mental.”
Ryan Wellings
Wellings was found not guilty of killing Kiena after denying manslaughter, but was convicted of assault and guilty of controlling and coercive behaviour towards her. A six-week trial at Preston Crown Court heard that almost from the beginning of their relationship Wellings repeatedly subjected Kiena to controlling and coercive behaviour, abuse and violence over a prolonged period to “grind” her down.
She had been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder – resulting in increased impulsivity, poor self-esteem and difficulty in relationships. The court heard Wellings allegedly exploited her mental health condition, and while the condition played a part in her decision to take her own life, so too did his abusive behaviour.
Kiena, from Fleetwood, first met Wellings in January 2020 and was “swept off her feet”, the court was told. He had her name and face tattooed on his body within a week and proposed marriage within three months.
Kiena Dawes
But Kiena told a friend their relationship was a “fairytale that had turned into a nightmare”. She said she suffered regular violence from Wellings and threats, including using a drill on her teeth and acid to disfigure her.
On the day she died, Kiena left her baby daughter, still in her car seat, at a friend’s house. She then drove to a nearby railway line where she killed herself. She had left her mobile phone alongside the baby with her suicide note.
It read: “The end. I fought hard, I fought long. I went through pain no one could imagine. No one will know what I went threw. 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.”
Following Wellings’ conviction on Monday (January 13), Kiena’s mum Angela Dawes branded her daughter’s abuser “a monster”. She told journalists in a statement outside Preston Crown Court that she wished she could bring Kiena Dawes back and tell her “it’s OK, you’re safe now”.
Speaking on the court steps, Angela 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.
Angela Dawes, mother of Kiena Dawes, speaking to the media outside Preston Crown Court
“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.
“Kiena is missed so very much, every second of every day. Her baby girl was brought to my home a few hours after Kiena was found and has been in my full-time care ever since that tragic day.
“And I honestly cannot put into words how much it breaks my heart that her beautiful baby girl doesn’t have a mummy here because of that monster. I’ll never forget the day when three CID officers came to my door shortly after I lost Kiena.
“I truly hope no other young lady or child has to go through what he did to my daughter and her baby and I just wish with all my heart that I could bring her back and say, ‘It’s OK. You’re safe now’.
“Although a manslaughter conviction has not been achieved today, the convictions of controlling and coercive behaviour and assault clearly demonstrates the perpetrators of domestic abuse will be held to account and in prison for what they have done.”
Wellings will be sentenced on Thursday (January 16).
You don’t have to suffer in silence if you’re struggling with your mental health.
Here are some groups you can contact:
Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or email jo@samaritans.org, in confidence.
Childline: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and won’t show up on your bill.
PAPYRUS: Suicide prevention charity offering professional help and support to children, young people and anyone concerned for someone struggling with life. Call HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141, text 07860 039 967 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org.
Depression Alliance: A charity for people with depression. No helpline, but it offers useful resources and links to other information.
Students Against Depression: A website for students who are depressed, have low mood, or are suicidal. Click here to visit.
Bullying UK: A website for both children and adults affected by bullying. Click here.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): For young men who are feeling unhappy. There is a helpline: 0800 58 58 58 or visit the website.
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