Ryan Wellings subjected Kiena Dawes, his vulnerable partner, to assault and years of domestic abuse and was jailed this week for assault and coercive and controlling behaviour
The new girlfriend of Kiena Dawes’ “monster” abuser wished the tragic mum a “happy heavenly birthday” weeks after her death, it is reported.
Newly resurfaced screenshots from Emma Croft’s deleted Facebook page show a series of glowing tributes she paid to Ms Dawes after her death. Less than one month after the tragedy though, Ms Croft posted on Ms Dawes’ former profile “happy heavenly birthday”.
The resurfaced messages have caused upset following Ms Croft’s decision to support her partner throughout his trial for manslaughter, for which he was cleared, and assault and coercive and controlling behaviour, both for which he was convicted on Monday.
Ms Dawes, 23, was found dead on a railway line in July 2022 and had left a suicide note, calling her partner a “monster” who had “killed me”. She would have turned 24 just weeks later, the day on which Ms Croft, a nail technician, left the chilling three-word message on her old social media account.
Ms Croft, and Wellings’ mother Lisa Green face a police investigation for allegedly “coaching” him to give evidence in court. Angry friends have blasted Ms Croft, who lost her job at a beauty salon in Blackpool, Lancashire following media scrutiny amid the trial, for standing by her violent man. The father of two even blew her a kiss in court after being found guilty this week.
One source told Mail Online: “She claimed her own family were quite supportive of the relationship, but I find that hard to believe. As a result of her relationship with Ryan she’s lost a lot of her friends and now her job, but she doesn’t seem able to see him for what he is.”
And Mrs Croft faced a further backlash on social media after the screenshots of the birthday message emerged. Comments on Facebook branded Ms Croft “sickening” and her behaviour “beyond words”.
Wellings, from Blackpool, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison on Thursday. The landscape gardener subjected mum-of-one Ms Dawes to a prolonged campaign of abuse in the two years during which they dated.
Sentencing the thug at Preston Crown Court, Judge Robert Altham described him as a “clear danger to any partner you have in the future”. He added: “Every higher culpability factor exists. The offence is aggravated by your record, the fact much was committed while under the influence of cocaine. The ABH is aggravated by being committed in a domestic setting. You left Ms Dawes unconscious on the floor and ignored her pleas for help. It is a seriously aggravating factor that this was committed in front of her daughter. She was vulnerable due to her mental health problems.
