first defendant to be tried before a jury accused of the unlawful killing of his partner after kiena dawes landscape gardener was found not guilty of manslaughter and guilty of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour between january 2020 and july 2022 after a trial at preston crown court. he will be sentenced on thursday. our correspondent nick garnett had this update outside preston crown court. it was so scared for corrosive and destructive relationship. she suffered from years of abuse at the hands of ryan wellings. she called the police to her house on a number of occasions. one day she left her baby with a friend and went away and took her own life. after a six week long trial at preston crown court, ryan wellings was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour and also of assault. he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. ii he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. 11 days before she died, the court was told that kiena dawes, who had a history of mental illness, had attempted suicide on a number of occasions, and she had been involved with ryan wellings for a while,

kiena dawes.appy and so unsafe behind closed doors? sobbing it was all down to this man, ryan wellings. he swept her off her feet, the court heard, but he was in fact an abuser. this was another time that the police were called to the home of kiena. she was so used to the violence. listen to how calmly she described what happened. last night i got absolutely leathered around this house, into her bedroom. i was strangled after that. and ten days before she died, another cry for help. my phone will end up breaking because it is covered in blood. it is pouring down my face. ryan wellings was then arrested for assault. he was released without charge. just over a week later, kiena left their nine—month—old baby at a friend's house. she then took her own life. "he had a drill in my face, and wanted to drill the teeth out of my mouth. i was murdered, slowly. ryan wellings killed me." thejury disagreed. something that her family are now coming to terms with. and i will fight for herjustice. i truly hope t

kiena dawes.y—looking mum, be so unhappy and so unsafe behind closed doors? sobbing. right, just try and take a breath, 0k? we're here to help. it was all down to this man, ryan wellings. he swept her off her feet, the court heard, but was in fact an abuser. this was another time that the police were called to kiena's home. she was so used to the violence. listen to how calmly she described what happened. the other night i got absolutely leathered around this house, while she was in her bedroom. i was strangled after that. and ten days before she died, another cry for help. my phone's going to end up breaking because it's covered in blood. i'vejust woken up, i was unconscious. it's absolutely, it's pouring down my face. ryan wellings was then arrested for assault. he was released without charge. just over a week later, kiena left their nine—month—old baby at a friend's house. she then took her own life. later, details of her abuse were found on her mobile phone. "he had a drill in my face, and wan

in her suicide note, kiena dawes, who was 23, wrote that she'd been murdered slowly by wellings.ing us up to date. kiana dawes involved in a destructive and corrosive relationship with wellings. the couple had a young daughter together and suffered years of abuse at the hands of wellings. she called police to her house on a number of occasions. one day she left her baby with a friend and went away and took her own life. after a six week long trial here at preston crown court, wellings was convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour, and also of assault. he was found not guilty of assault. he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. ii of assault. he was found not guilty of her manslaughter. 11 days before she died, the court was told that kiena dawes, who had a history of mental illness, had attempted suicide on a number of occasions. she had been involved with wellings for a while, she had been taken to hospital with head wounds, but her boyfriend had been released without charge at that time. it has now emerged that wellings had a previous conviction for assaulting a forme