This is the shocking moment Kiena Dawes’ twisted abuser rapped about her death and swigged prosecco in a sick video.
Ryan Wellings shared the video of himself on Facebook singing and blaming Kiena Dawes’ mum for her death less than an hour after being charged with manslaughter. He can be seen in the passenger seat of a car wearing sunglasses as loud music balres in the background.
He said: “I’m driving around with a bottle of prosecco. “I was told off an hour ago on a manslaughter charge. It’s all f***ing s**t.”
The 30-year-old thug then growls: “[Kiena’s mum] you’d better take the blame for abandoning your daughter and going off to Greece. You’re a f***ing slag.”
It is a stark contrast to police bodycam footage showing Wellings’ arrest where he cried fake crocodile tears. The landscape gardener, from Bispham, was detained after Fleetwood hairdresser Kiena, 23, took her own life after two years of domestic abuse and violence.
She left their eight-month-old daughter with a friend before driving to a nearby railway line in July 2022. Kiena left a suicide note stating “I was murdered” and that Wellings had “killed me”.
Ryan Wellings sings in the car shortly after Kiena Dawes’ death
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. During his trial at Preston Crown Court, Wellings told the jury he had recorded and uploaded the video to Facebook.
Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, asked him: “You uploaded it on purpose to intimidate the Dawes family and show them who is boss.”
Welling claimed: “I did not know what I was doing. I know I did wrong and did some stupid things.
“That’s me hurting. Being blamed for killing my kid’s mum, the woman I loved.”
Wellings said he was sleep deprived and had downed prosecco and taken drugs. He said he uploaded it by accident and later deleted it.
Kiena Dawes
The six-week trial 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 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. However 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.
Injury photo of Kiena Dawes from an assault that took place on July 11, 2022
She then drove to a nearby railway line where she took her own life. 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.”
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.
Subscribe to our new weekly newsletter THE COURT FILES and get all the biggest stories from Lancashire’s courts direct to your inbox