Man Denies Physical Assault in Partner’s Death Case

A man facing accusations of causing his partner’s suicide through domestic abuse and violence has stated he did not physically strike her. Kiena Dawes, a 23-year-old from Fleetwood, died by suicide on a railway line on 22 July 2022, having left her young daughter with a friend beforehand. During the trial at Preston Crown Court, it was previously disclosed that Ms. Dawes left a note stating: “I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me.” Mr. Wellings, aged 30, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, asserting to the jurors that Ms. Dawes was the aggressor and he merely restrained her during what he described as their “toxic” relationship. While he has acknowledged past assaults on his former girlfriend, who is also the mother of his children, he has denied ever assaulting Ms. Dawes. John Jones, representing the defense, questioned Mr. Wellings regarding a Facebook Messenger conversation from September 2021, in which Ms. Dawes wrote: “You’ve raised your fist at me twice this week.” The barrister then inquired: “Had you raised your fist?” Mr. Wellings, who resides in Bispham, responded: “No. I was restraining her. When she’s hitting me, I used to stop her by grabbing her arms.” The landscape gardener indicated that he might have been “heavy-handed” when pushing Ms. Dawes away while she was attacking him. He further stated that Ms. Dawes, a hairdresser, sustained a black eye on one occasion when he attempted to fend her off during an argument within their “toxic” relationship, which was characterized by cocaine binges, alcohol consumption, and frequent separations. Mr. Wellings claimed that Ms. Dawes developed “insecurity” after discovering him viewing escort websites while she was pregnant with their daughter. The court was informed that Ms. Dawes had alleged in a text message that Mr. Wellings had held a drill to her face, threatening to remove her teeth. His defense barrister questioned him: “Had you threatened to drill her teeth out? What reason is Kiena saying: ‘I’ll come at YOU with a drill.'” Mr. Wellings responded: “I don’t know. No idea.” The defendant additionally denies charges of assault and coercive and controlling behavior spanning from January 2020 to July 2022. The trial is ongoing.