Man who abused girlfriend before she took own life jailed

A father-of-three who psychologically and physically abused his susceptible spouse earlier she took her ain beingness has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.

Fleetwood hairdresser Kiena Dawes was 23 erstwhile she died connected a railway enactment successful Lancashire connected 22 July 2022.

The mother-of-one near a enactment connected her mobile telephone claiming she was "was murdered" and that her boyfriend, 30-year-old Ryan Wellings, was a "monster and a bully" who had "killed" her.

Wellings was cleared of her manslaughter by a assemblage astatine Preston Crown Court but convicted of battle and coercive and controlling behaviour relating to the maltreatment she suffered during her life.

The battle charge, the tribunal heard, referred to 2 weeks earlier her decease erstwhile Wellings slammed a doorway into Miss Dawes caput astatine their level successful Fleetwood, knocking her unconscious and leaving her covered successful blood.

The onslaught happened successful the beingness of their screaming babe daughter.

Wellings was jailed for six years for the maltreatment of Miss Dawes, and an further six months for an unrelated battle connected his friend, a antheral called Scott Fletcher.

Miss Dawes' mother, Angela Dawes, work a connection successful tribunal up of sentencing successful which she described however his babe girl had been "exposed to and experienced utmost home maltreatment and unit against her mummy".

The victim's brother, Kynan Dawes, besides work a unfortunate interaction connection which said: "The satellite present knows what a monster helium is."

Wellings, a scenery gardener from Bispham successful Lancashire, had antecedently been convicted of "battering" an ex-girlfriend earlier helium met Miss Dawes, and besides had convictions for burglary and transgression harm going backmost to his teenage years.

Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, told the justice that though the assemblage did not convict Wellings of manslaughter, the tribunal should condemnation him connected the ground his coercive maltreatment of Miss Dawes "set the country for her death".

"Kiena was caused to consciousness - connected galore occasions - superior alarm and distress," helium said.

"This had a important effect connected her and caused her important intelligence harm."

During his proceedings the prosecution had outlined however Wellings initially "swept Miss Dawes disconnected her feet" erstwhile they met successful January 2020.

Over the adjacent two-and-a-half years, however, helium was often convulsive including punching, strangling and dragging his spouse to the floor.

Wellings had fixed Miss Dawes a black-eye portion she was pregnant, and attacked her successful beforehand of children.

In notes connected her telephone detailing the abuse, Miss Dawes said connected 1 juncture helium had held her caput underwater successful her daughter's babe bath, and connected different had brandished an electrical drill and warned helium would "drill the teeth retired of my mouth".

Other terrifying threats including to scar her look with acid, and that if she reported him to constabulary her babe would beryllium taken distant owed to her intelligence wellness condition.

However John Jones KC, defending Wellings, argued that the narration was not wholly characterised by abuse.

"It's incorrect to accidental the coercive and controlling narration was successful beingness throughout," helium said.

"There were bully and atrocious times."

Sentencing Wellings, Judge Robert Altham, the Honorary Recorder of Preston, branded the suspect "a wide information to immoderate partner" who had "shown nary remorse".

"Kiena Dawes was a popular, vivacious, affable young woman," helium said.

"She had past of intelligence illness. Through nary responsibility of hers, she was susceptible to maltreatment and exploitation."

Judge Altham described however Wellings followed a "pattern of assaulting and mistreating her and promising to change, lone to bash it again".

"You disparaged her quality and said her dormant begetter would beryllium ashamed of her, that she was abdominous and disfigured and incompetent astatine her work", helium added.

Wellings smiled arsenic helium was taken down to the cells.

Angela Dawes earlier told the tribunal she would rise her granddaughter, describing it arsenic an "honour and a privilege".

"[The child] has already asked maine wherever her mummy is, I recovered it intolerable to reply that question," she said.

Campaign radical Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse called for changes successful the instrumentality to summation the maximum condemnation for coercive and controlling behaviour and marque it easier to bring manslaughter charges.

Speaking aft the sentencing hearing, 1 of its advocates, Marie, said: "Although thing is going to bring Kiena back, thing is going to bring that small miss her mummy back, determination are immense changes that request to beryllium made successful the law."

Marie said successful her acquisition the fig of deaths wherever home maltreatment was a origin successful idiosyncratic taking their ain beingness was opening to overtake the fig of home unit homicides.

"Decision makers request to beryllium up and perceive to what's happened contiguous and what needs to beryllium done moving forwards to support victims of home abuse," she added.