Mum accused partner of hitting her - trial

Kiena Dawes, 23, died in July 2022

A vulnerable mother who took her own life had sent messages to her partner saying: "I'm sick of you hitting me."

Kiena Dawes, 23, died on a railway line in July 2022 after allegedly suffering years of abuse by partner Ryan Wellings, who is being tried for her manslaughter.

Preston Crown Court was told Mr Wellings had Ms Dawes' name tattooed on his neck within a week of meeting her and had been violent towards the Fleetwood mother-of-one during the relationship.

Mr Wellings, 30, of Bispham, Lancashire, denies manslaughter, assault, and coercive and controlling behaviour.

On Tuesday, the trial heard Ms Dawes had left a note in which she said she "was murdered", adding she had been "tortured... until there was nothing left".

Mr Wellings’ defence has claimed Ms Dawes’ accusations were either untrue or exaggerated, and any injuries she suffered before her death were either a result of his attempts to restrain her, or were accidental.

Proposal

Prosecutors have told the jury of seven women and five men that Mr Wellings used violence to "grind" down Ms Dawes such that she took her own life.

On the second day of the trial, Ms Dawes’s best friend, Kacie Valentine, was asked about what her friend had told her about her relationship with Mr Wellings.

Ms Valentine said she felt it "weird" that Mr Wellings had got a tattoo of Ms Dawes' name on his neck so soon after they met.

The court heard Ms Valentine later discovered the hairdresser had fallen out with Mr Wellings and moved to live with a friend in Dorset and was "back to her normal self".

But she then received a photo from Ms Dawes showing a ring on her finger and discovered Mr Wellings had proposed to her on a beach with a banner saying, "Will you marry me?"

She had said yes to the proposal, the jury heard.

Ms Valentine told the court on about five occasions Ms Dawes told her Mr Wellings had been violent towards her, leaving her with injuries.

These included a cut on her leg, bruises to her ribs and a black eye, she said.

Ms Valentine said Ms Dawes had told her that when Mr Wellings would attack her, he would say to her: "Hitting you is like hitting a man."

Ms Valentine said sometimes her friend would come and stay at her house because Mr Wellings would "binge on drink and cocaine".

The jury was shown messages from Ms Dawes to Mr Wellings which read: "Coke is what’s gone wrong. I can’t bring a baby up like that. I told you 100 times not to buy any more."

Ms Dawes told Mr Wellings the drugs made him "aggressive" but his message response read: "Come on. Sorry xx".

Ms Dawes replied: "No, I’m sick of you hitting me."

'Almost universally loved'

Earlier, John Jones KC, defending Mr Wellings, told the jury whatever the difficulties in their relationship they were not the reason Ms Dawes chose to kill herself.

This, he said, was a decision made because of "multiple factors".

He said: "That relationship had been loving, affectionate and otherwise good, but at times both difficult and stormy.

"It is not part of my defence to raise any adverse comment or criticism against anyone.

"Nothing I say is intended to adversely trespass on the memory of a young woman who apparently was almost universally loved and regarded with affection."

Mr Jones added: "Kiena Dawes was a very troubled young lady.

"The evidence will reveal she had a long, troubled psychiatric history and had made several, some might say, determined attempts [to kill herself] in the past."

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by PA