An abusive bully who violently terrorised his fiancée before she took her own life has become engaged while behind bars, it has been claimed.
Ryan Wellings, 30, smiled and blew kisses to 28-year-old Emma Croft from the dock when he was convicted of extensively battering and threatening Kiena Dawes over a two-year period.
Kiena, 23, left her nine-month-old baby with a friend and went to end her life at a railway line in Lancashire in July 2022.
She had typed a note on her phone saying: ‘I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I didn’t deserve it.’
Wellings was cleared of Kiena’s manslaughter but was found guilty of assault and controlling and coercive behaviour.
Friends of Ms Croft say Wellings made his proposal in a letter he left with his mum before the conviction, according to MailOnline.
She has reportedly told them she accepted the proposal and will ‘stick by’ him until his release.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
Throughout the year we will be bringing you stories that shine a light on the sheer scale of the epidemic.
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to engage and empower our readers on the issue of violence against women.
You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
Read more:
- Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro’s year-long violence against women campaign
- Yvette Cooper’s message to abusers and rapists: The streets don’t belong to you
- Remembering the women killed by men in 2024
- Stories about violence against women don’t make an impact – this is why
- Men – we need your help to end violence against women
- What to do if your loved one is at risk from domestic abuse
‘She keeps telling everyone they don’t really know the real Ryan, but she’s in complete denial,’ one friend told the outlet, while another said she was ‘completely in thrall’.
Jurors were told how Wellings repeatedly beat Kiena while she was pregnant and threatened to drown her in a bath.
He also threatened to drill her teeth and ‘make her look like Katie Piper’ by dousing her with acid.
He also told Kiena to kill herself and on one occasion pushed her head underwater in a bath and said ‘Say goodbye to your baby’.
Wellings was the first person to stand trial accused of the unlawful killing of a partner who ended their own life after suffering domestic abuse.
Learn more about domestic abuse in the UK
- One in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives
- ONS research revealed that, in 2023, the police recorded a domestic abuse offence approximately every 40 seconds
- Yet Crime Survey for England & Wales data for the year ending March 2023 found only 18.9% of women who experienced partner abuse in the last 12 months reported the abuse to the police
- According to Refuge, 84% of victims in domestic abuse cases are female, with 93% of defendants being male
- Safe Lives reports that disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse as non-disabled women, and typically experience domestic abuse for a longer period of time before accessing support
- Refuge has also found that, on average, it takes seven attempts before a woman is able to leave for good.
Prosecutors said his abuse ‘set the scene for her death’.
‘Kiena was caused to feel – on many occasions – serious alarm and distress,’ he said.
‘This had a substantial effect on her and caused her significant psychological harm.’
The abuse continued even during periods when Kiena had broken up with Wellings.
She had called police at least five times to report abuse but, due to his threats, later downplayed it.
What to do if you’re experiencing domestic abuse
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. And whether you are currently coping with or have made the decision to leave, you do have options.
- If you are thinking about leaving, domestic abuse charity Refuge suggests starting a record of abusive incidents, which might include saving pictures or messages, or making notes of times, dates and details of incidents.
- The next step is to make copies of important documents such as court orders, marriage certificates, National Insurance Numbers and your driving licence.
- In the meantime, identify the safer areas of your home so that you know where to go if your abuser becomes aggravated. Ideally, this should be a room with a phone and a door or window to the outside.
- If you feel ready to leave, start by making a plan for a safe, reliable route out. If you feel safe to do so, pack an emergency bag so that you leave in a hurry if needed.
- You can access a local refuge, either with or without children, for as long as you need to stay. The address is confidential. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247) is open 24-hours a day and has all the details of refuges in your area.
- In an emergency situation, ring 999 and ask for the police. If you aren’t able to talk, try the Silent Solution: after dialling 999, listen to the questions from the operator and respond by coughing or tapping your device, if possible. If prompted, press 55 to let the operator know it’s an emergency – you’ll be put through to the police.
Read more here.
A final battering eleven days before her death ‘broke’ her, jurors were told, and she made another statement.
Wellings was arrested but bailed, then ignored a condition to stay away.
Kiena’s suicide note also called for police to act faster in future.Three police officers face disciplinary proceedings.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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