‘Fairy tale’ relationship became ‘nightmare’, trial hears

Miss Dawes told Mrs Atherton, who taught her at Lytham St Annes High School in Lancashire, the reality of their relationship, jurors heard.

Mrs Atherton explained: “She just said the first six months were a fairy tale but then it turned into a nightmare.

“Those were her exact words. Horrendous domestic violence. Horrendous physical abuse.”

Miss Dawes, from Fleetwood, communicating via Facebook messenger, said her posts did not show the “true side” of her life and sent Mrs Atherton photos of injuries allegedly caused by beatings from Mr Wellings, the court heard.

Mrs Atherton told her she was “best rid” of Mr Wellings and suggested she break contact, adding: “This is toxic.”

The jury heard Miss Dawes replied: “Been bullied till there’s nothing left of me.”

Mrs Atherton said Miss Dawes also said she was struggling to cope and felt tortured by Mr Wellings and his friends.

The court heard that shortly before her death Miss Dawes felt “let down” by Lancashire Police because after Mr Wellings was arrested for alleged assault on 11 July 2022, he abused her again in an apparent breach of his bail conditions, but no action was taken.

Debbie Green, who would do Miss Dawes’ nail makeovers, said she went “downhill” after meeting Mr Wellings and “went from being a happy-go-lucky girl to frightened all the time”.