The new girlfriend of jailed abuser Ryan Wellings, 30, reportedly told her friends ‘there are two sides to every story’ after they warned her about his behaviour
Ryan Wellings’ new girlfriend has reportedly spoken out to her friends after he was put behind bars for a horrific campaign of abuse against his former partner.
The 30-year-old was jailed for six and a half years this week for assault and coercive and controlling behaviour towards Kiena Dawes, 23, who left a suicide note calling him a “monster” who had “killed me”. He was cleared of manslaughter.
Judge Robert Altham at Preston Crown Court told Wellings: “You repeatedly assaulted and abused her. You would repeatedly hit her, in the messages, she pleaded with you to stop hitting her. Knowing her previous attempts at suicide and her fragile mental health, you repeatedly told her she may as well kill herself.”
Now, friends of Wellings’ new girlfriend, nail technician Emma Croft, 28, have claimed she is ‘besotted’ with him despite his conviction – and said she has tried to defend his action. Despite her pals reportedly telling her she was making a “mistake” by being in a relationship with him, one source told the MailOnline that she said “there are two sides to every story” and claimed they “didn’t know the truth”.
The pair reportedly began dating last summer before he was put on remand, and Wellings was seen blowing kisses to Emma in court. Emma had also posted tributes to Kiena shortly after her death, according to screenshots from her now-deleted Facebook profile obtained by the newspaper.
During the trial jurors heard that Ms Dawes, a hairdresser from Fleetwood in Lancashire, had suffered two years of violence and abuse at the hands of Wellings. She had been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder, resulting in increased impulsivity, poor self-esteem and difficulty in relationships, a condition allegedly exploited by Wellings.
She had been “swept off her feet” by Wellings, a landscape gardener from nearby Bispham, who had a previous conviction for battering an ex-partner, the mother of his twin girls. Wellings had Ms Dawes’ name and face tattooed on his body within a week of meeting, and proposed marriage within three months.
But she later said her “fairy tale” relationship turned into a “nightmare” as Wellings exploded in angry outbursts and had cocaine and drink binges, the court heard. His sickening abuse included regular slapping and “ragging” by her hair, and threats to use a drill to take out her teeth and to “make her look like Katie Piper” by throwing acid in her face, jurors heard.
After she became pregnant with his child, Wellings gave Kiena a black eye and began criticising her weight, calling her a “fat little bitch” while contacting escorts and prostitutes online. Friends and family had warned her to “run a mile” from the “toxic” partner, but they repeatedly broke up and got back together as he made excuses for his behaviour.
Police were called multiple times, but Wellings threatened Ms Dawes that their daughter would be taken from them if she told them what was happening, so she did not help investigations. Paul Greaney KC, read Ms Dawes’ suicide note to jurors which said: “The end. I fought hard, I fought long. I went through pain no-one could imagine. I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I had dreams. I had a future at one point. That was taken away from me.”
Wellings claimed any injuries she suffered were accidental or a result of him trying to restrain her. A final attack “broke” Ms Dawes, leaving her needing hospital treatment. Afterwards, she made a statement to police and he was arrested. He broke his bail conditions but was not detained, leaving Ms Dawes feeling let down by police. Four days later, on July 22, 2022, she took her own life.
Three Lancashire Constabulary officers now face disciplinary hearings over the case. In a victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Dawes’ mother, Angela Dawes, said she felt sitting through the trial had “violated” her daughter again, adding: “I have had to sit through an almost six-week trial and watch the private life of my daughter pulled apart and her mental health scrutinised and assessed. She has been violated. There is no other word for it. It has also been extremely traumatic for me to see Kiena so upset talking to police officers and to look back retrospectively at her so helpless in life and reaching out for help, knowing what ultimately happened to her.”
Ryan Wellings, 30, was jailed for six-and-a-half years at Preston Crown Court on Thursday afternoon after being found guilty of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour. Judge Robert Altham said: “Everyone who knew and cared for her regarded her as a truly wonderful person. We heard from family, friends and clients in the trial who spoke warmly of her. The overwhelming evidence is that you persuaded her that everything was her fault when you beat her. You said you did everything you could to help with her mental health problems and never assaulted her. I reject the view that Kiena had any power in this relationship. You have shown no remorse. You lack insight. Though an extended determinate sentence is not available in this case you are a clear danger.”
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