Man accused of driving girlfriend to suicide denies 'raising his fists at her', jury hears

ITV Granada Reports journalist Anna Youssef was at Preston Crown Court as Ryan Wellings too the stand

A man accused of driving his partner to suicide through a campaign of domestic abuse and violence has admitted he could be "heavy handed" when she attacked him - but denied ever "raising his fists at her".

Kiena Dawes, 23, left their eight-month-old daughter with a friend before taking her own life in July 2022, leaving a note saying, "I was murdered … Ryan Wellings killed me.”

Wellings, 30, who is on trial for manslaughter, has admitted previously assaulting his former girlfriend and mother of his twin daughters, but denied ever attacking Miss Dawes, a hairdresser, from Fleetwood, Lancshire.

Giving evidence at Preston Crown Court the landscape gardener, of Bispham, Lancashire, was questioned about a Facebook messenger exchange in September 2021, when Miss Dawes said: “You’ve raised your fist at me twice this week…”

John Jones KC, defending, said: “Had you raised your fist?”

Wellings replied: “No. I was restraining her. When she’s hitting me I used to stop her by grabbing her arms.”

He was asked about other messages where Miss Dawes accused him of hitting her, but denied this, saying he may have been “heavy handed” when pushing her away as she attacked him.

He said Miss Dawes once got a black eye after he tried to fend her off attacking him in one row during a “toxic” relationship, littered with cocaine binges, drinking and frequent break-ups.

He admitted Miss Dawes became “insecure” after she caught him looking at escort websites while she was pregnant with their daughter.

Miss Dawes had claimed Wellings put a drill to her face threatening to take her teeth out with it, the court heard.

She referenced this in another message to him where she also claimed he had broken her phone.

Wellings admitted putting her phone in a baby bath.

Mr Jones continued: “Had you threatened to drill her teeth out? What reasons is Kiena saying, ‘I’ll come at YOU with a drill.’

“I don’t know. No idea,” Wellings replied.

Miss Dawes first met Wellings in January 2020 and was “swept off her feet”, her mother told the court.

He had her name and face tattooed on his body within a week and proposed marriage within three months.

But it is alleged that Wellings began physically and emotionally abusing Miss Dawes soon after, and she told a friend their relationship was a “fairy tale turned into a nightmare”.

Jurors heard in early January 2022 the couple split up again, Miss Dawes telling Wellings the relationship was over, saying in a message: “We became toxic…you lost control on how to manage your anger. You stopped respecting me when I was pregnant.”

Wellings texted back: “Can we have sex with each other still. We just be sex buddies…”

Miss Dawes replied: “Don’t know what to say.”

Later the same day she contacted Refuge, the charity for victims of domestic violence but hours later Wellings messaged her again saying: “If you get with someone else I will end my life.”

Wellings also denies assault and coercive and controlling behaviour between January 2020 and July 2022.

The trial continues.