A jury hears that Kiena Dawes’ troubled relationship did not cause her tragic death
Preston: A jury recently discussed the relationship between Kiena Dawes and Ryan Wellings. They described it as a ‘recipe for disaster’ that both should have left behind.
However, Wellings’ lawyer, John Jones KC, argued that Kiena’s death in July 2022 wasn’t his client’s fault. Kiena, just 23, took her own life, leaving a note claiming she had been ‘murdered slowly’ by Wellings due to two years of domestic abuse.
Wellings, who hails from Bispham, is facing charges of coercive control, ABH, and manslaughter. In his closing remarks, Jones pointed out that despite their arguments, there was also love between the couple, as shown in their texts. He referred to their relationship as a ‘see-sawing’ one, starting from their engagement on a beach in Dorset in May 2020.
“Did it lead to Kiena’s death?” Jones asked. “No.” He told the jury that their relationship was filled with issues, including Wellings’ struggles with drugs and anger, while Kiena dealt with emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), which caused her extreme mood swings.
Jones emphasized that their relationship had all the signs of trouble, yet they tried to make it work. Kiena’s family and friends now regret the relationship, although they initially supported it. Kiena’s mom, Angela, even called the beach proposal a ‘fairytale ending,’ but things quickly soured.
Over the next two years, Wellings’ drug issues and Kiena’s mental health struggles took a toll on their relationship. “This destructive mix brought heartache to both and death to one,” Jones stated, urging the jury to consider what truly caused Kiena’s death.
He maintained that Wellings wasn’t significantly responsible for her death, pointing out that Kiena’s family and friends only heard about the relationship’s problems and didn’t see the love she had for Wellings. Kiena had been dealing with mental health issues long before meeting him.
Wellings also had his own deep-rooted issues with drugs and anger, which were evident from a past conviction involving a former partner. “It was a recipe for disaster,” Jones said, highlighting the mental health and substance abuse issues on both sides.
He urged the jury to be cautious about hearsay from Kiena’s friends and family, as they only heard one side of the story. Arguments between the couple often resolved quickly, sometimes within hours.
Jones questioned whether Kiena’s claims to her friends were genuine or just a reflection of her mood swings. He acknowledged that while there were problems, they were deep-seated and had been present from the start. Unfortunately, neither of them walked away until it was too late.
“Whatever the attraction was, while it may have been fatal, it wasn’t caused by Ryan Wellings,” he concluded. The trial is still ongoing.
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