Sister of mum driven to suicide by abuser slams 'disgusting' new girlfriend who coached him to 'cry in court'

The sister of a young mum driven to suicide by her evil abuser has spoken out in fury after witnessing the thug and his new lover's 'disgusting' behaviour in court. Kiena Dawes died in July 2022 after suffering years of physical violence and mental torment at the hands of her dangerous fiancé, Ryan Wellings . In a heartbreaking message from beyond the grave, the mum-of-one said she felt there was no other way to put a stop to the abuse she suffered unless she ended her life. She wrote: "I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I didn't deserve it. I hope my life saves another by police services acting faster. Don't let bullies live free." Wellings, 31, was acquitted of manslaughter but convicted of assaulting the 23-year-old before her death and engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour over a period of two years. Prosecutors said the thug "set the scene for her death," with the abuse driving her to suicide. In January 2025, he was jailed for six and a half years - and now he's had seven months added to his prison sentence after pleading guilty to contempt of court. The yob was found to have ignored the judge's instructions not to discuss his trial while he was giving evidence, and talked about the case in eight telephone calls from prison with his new 'bestotted' girlfriend, Emma Croft , 29, and his mother Lisa Green, 53, between 17 December 2024 and 2 January 2025. In one abhorrent 'coaching' call, Croft, a mum-of-two, instructed Wellings to cry in court. She said: "Some advice to listen, so take it in. Say how sorry you was and how you regret some of your action. You can show emotion. If you do feel like you're gonna cry then let it out." Days later, Wellings wept when giving evidence about hearing of the death of Kiena, said the prosecutor. Another vile exchange saw Croft tell Wellings that when he was questioned about "kick offs" between him and Kiena, to suggest that some of them were related to her mental health struggles. She also advised: "Don't forget to keep mentioning self-defence. Get it in there." Croft and Green pleaded guilty to contempt of court, and were last week sentenced to six months in jail, suspended for 20 months. Wellings had an additional seven months added to his sentence. Separately to the contempt case, his dad Michael Wellings and mum Linda Green were sentenced for kidnapping their granddaughter, just weeks after her mum Kiena's death. The youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was "snatched from the street" by the pair, who drove off a short distance. And now the Mirror can reveal just how sickened Kiena's relatives are by the fresh torment. Her sister Leona, who was in the court at sentencing, said on Facebook: "It took every bit of strength in my mind and soul to stay in my seat and stay respectful today in that court room. 3 of the b******* (Michael Wellings, Emma Croft and Lisa Green) got suspended sentences because they pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of contempt of court rather than perverting the courtrooms course of justice." She claimed: "Even in their 'apology' letters to the judge, it was all about them and they made some crazy requests for their sentencing... 'I can't have a tag judge cos I'm going on holiday and it will inconvenience me', the other one 'can't go on tag or be under curfew cos of a health condition!' Laughable!" Labelling Wellings' new girlfriend a "cheeky f******" for trying to help him, Leona wrote: "They disgust me, the brother yawning his head off bored at the back, Ryan trying to stare me out and no remorse or respect shown from a single one of them. Not an ounce. If anything, they're arrogant." In another post, Leona expressed horror that Wellings had breached the strict court conditions on eight separate occasions, saying, "It is gross. Disgusting. Vile behaviour." It's not the first time that Croft has sparked outrage by standing by a man who drove his ex to suicide. Wellings left onlookers sickened by blowing kisses to his new partner when he was found guilty. Croft also lost her job as outrage grew. Here, we look at their warped relationship in full, and Kiena's bravery before her tragic death... Croft, who bears an chilling resemblance to Kiena with her long brown hair, faithfully supported Wellings throughout his trial, with the abuser smiling at her and blowing a kiss as he was led away following his guilty verdict. All the while, Kiena's sister wept in the courtroom. This stark contrast sickened those known to Croft, who reportedly lost friends because of her twisted romance. A source close to Croft said: last year "They started going out last summer – he'd already been charged over Kiena's death, but at that time he was on bail. Later he was remanded in custody, but she still kept on visiting him. All her friends told her she was making a big mistake, but she just kept saying 'there are two sides to every story' and that we didn't know the truth." "The more we heard about what went on with poor Kiena, the more horrified we all were. For this monster to be blowing kisses to Emma in court really turns my stomach." They continued: "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, though as far as we know, he's never actually abused her." Even as the gruelling court proceedings unfolded, Croft flaunted the relationship online by showing off a spa day voucher Wellings had gifted her for Christmas - unwrapped before the abuser had been cleared of manslaughter charges. When Croft's grim relationship with Wellings came to light during trial, it soon emerged that she had lost her job at a beauty salon she worked at. The Powder Room in Bispham, Blackpool, issued a statement to reassure its clients that she was no longer a employee. The owner's post online read: "Please Read. In regards to recent media coverage, we would like to inform our clients that Emma Croft no longer works at The Powder Room. We ask that others are kind and respectful towards all staff who work hard to make our salon an inviting place and have nothing to do with the situation that has arisen. "He was the first defendant to be tried before a jury accused of the unlawful killing of his partner after her suicide following domestic violence, but was found not guilty. He turned and blew a kiss to Croft as the verdict was read out, while Ms Dawes' sister burst into tears. Police are aware of recent media comments and are staying in close contact with the owners of the salon. Thank you." It is unclear exactly when Croft's employment at the business ended but she had supported Wellings throughout the trial at Preston Crown Court. Statuses from Croft's since-deleted Facebook page show that she had known who Kiena was before her death. In August 2022, she wished the tragic mum a "happy heavenly birthday", in a tribute that now makes for sickening reading. The month before, Croft reposted a Facebook status shared by Kiena's brother, who had advised where people could lay flowers for her. Reposting the status, Croft wrote: "Heartbreaking [broken heart emoji] the most beautiful girl inside and out [heart emoji] thinking of all your family and little girl xxxx." Kiena's best friend, Kirsty Brunn, previously revealed that Croft even laid flowers for Kiena, taking to Facebook to express her outrage. Writing: "She's even took flowers for Kiena", Kirsty continued: "The few occasions I was able to be present in the court gallery she acted like she was a celebrity smirking and smiling with pure smugness." Claiming that Croft and Wellings became a couple in April 2024, a matter of months before he was remanded in prison, Kirsty said: "Emma Croft and Ryan Wellings are both vindictive weird individuals and deserve to rot together." Kiena suffered horrific abuse in the lead-up to her death. She had fallen head over heels for landscape gardener Wellings when they were introduced by her brother in January 2020, and from the get-go, their relationship was "intense". Within a week, 30-year-old Wellings had a tattoo of her name and face, and after three months, they were engaged to marry. But the "fairytale" soon turned into a "nightmare" for the happy-go-lucky hairdresser, from Fleetwood in Lancashire , who endured repeated abuse. On several occasions she tried to seek help, but was so terrified of the controlling father-of-three that she always relented. Unable to escape, she eventually took her own life on 22 July 2022. Just weeks earlier, on 4 July 2022, Kiena drove into the back of a car, telling paramedics she forgot she was on the road and was thinking about suicide. A week later, on July 11, the couple had a row when Kiena moved some of his belongings while vacuuming. Wellings demanded she return the engagement ring he had given her and threw it out the window, the court heard. With their daughter 'screaming' next to them, Kiena managed to push Wellings out of the flat, only for him to fling the door open, slamming it in her face, causing her to black out. With blood pouring down her face, she made a desperate 999 call during which she said Wellings had "launched" her into a bathroom radiator, breaking it from a wall, and had slammed a door in her face, knocking her out and leaving a gash on her head. In a police statement, Kiena - who had been diagnosed with a personality disorder, resulting in increased impulsivity, poor self-esteem and difficulty in relationships - said Wellings had called her a "schizophrenic freak". PC Sawyer told the jury about the scene when she got to the flat at about 10.30pm. She said: "There was blood on the floor in the communal corridor. She was covered in blood, on her hands, on her face. She was upset and she was crying. She had a cut to the right side of her head. There was a broken towel rail in the bathroom." Kiena, who was treated in hospital for her injuries, had the courage to call the police at least five times during their relationship, reporting domestic incidents, but refrained from pressing charges due to threats from Wellings that their baby would be taken away. But on this occasion, she made a statement about the assault on July 11 which saw Wellings arrested. He was bailed on the condition not to contact Kiena. But on July 17, he called her in the early hours making threats. When she reported the call to police, it wasn't treated as a breach of bail, which left her feeling "unsupported". Three days before her death, she sent a text message to a friend, saying: "I was in hospital longer than he was in the cells. The world is f****d and I hate it." It was this final assault that proved to be a "significant factor" in her decision to take her own life, Prosecutor Mr Greaney said. On July 22 she dropped off their nine-month-old baby daughter at a friend's house before going to kill herself. Ring camera footage shows the desperate mum walking up to the door with her little girl in her carrier before letting herself in, as her friend was taking a shower. She left her daughter inside, along with a parting letter, which read: "I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I didn't deserve it. I hope my life saves another by police services acting faster. Don't let bullies live free." The mum-of-one had also written a suicide note on her phone, which read: "The end. I fought hard, I fought long. I went through pain no one could imagine. I was murdered. Ryan Wellings killed me. He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I had dreams. I had a future at one point. That was taken away from me." The extent of the horrific abuse Wellings inflicted on Kiena was outlined to the jury in hundreds of text messages sent between the pair. He was described by prosecutor Paul Greaney KC as an "entitled, aggressive bully" and by Kiena's' friends as a "horrible little b*****d" with a jealous streak. They said he did not like being answered back, which "triggers his anger". The abuse included regular slapping and "ragging" by her hair and threats to use a drill to take out her teeth. He also said he would "make her look like Katie Piper" by throwing acid in her face, and sponged cash off her, securing and leaving 22 jobs, while she worked two jobs. After she became pregnant, Wellings gave her a black eye and began criticising her weight, calling her a "fat little b***h" while contacting escorts and prostitutes online. Friends and her mother, Angela Dawes, warned Kiena to "run a mile from toxic" Wellings, but a pattern developed of break-up and make-up. He excused his behaviour, saying, "It was only a slap," and apologising profusely. Speaking after Wellings was convicted, Kiena's devastated mother Angela said: "I'm finding it almost impossible to put into words how big of an impact losing Kiena has been. Kiena was a rare gem. She brought so much love and kindness to this world , into everyone who loved her. She was an extremely beautiful girl and was quite truly the sweetest, kindest and gentlest person I have ever known." Following her daughter's death, Angela opened a centre called Behind Closed Doors to help other victims. The hub, in her hometown of Fleetwood, Lancs, offers sanctuary to women experiencing violence and abuse. For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk . If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk . If you need to talk and don't know where to turn to, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit the website to find your local branch.