Kiena Dawes: Man blamed for death ‘from beyond the grave’

The prosecutor said the evidence showed Mr Wellings to be an aggressive, entitled bully.

He added: “Because of what he had done, because of his crimes, she saw no way out and it was reasonably foreseeable that would be the outcome if he behaved in that way.

“Kiena killed herself when she did because of the defendant’s unlawful acts. Because he assaulted and abused her. Because he acted in a way that was controlling and coercive.”

The defendant claims Ms Dawes’ accusations against him are either untrue or exaggerated, and any injuries she suffered before she took her own life on a railway line were a result of his attempts to restrain her or were accidental.

Ms Dawes has been described as a “very troubled young lady” who decided to end her life not because of Mr Wellings but because of “multiple factors”.

She first met Mr 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 Ms Dawes told a friend their relationship was a “fairytale [that had] turned into a nightmare”, claiming regular violence from Mr Wellings and threats, including using a drill on her teeth and acid to disfigure her.

Mr Wellings, a landscape gardener of Bispham, Lancashire, denies the manslaughter of Ms Dawes and also denies assault and coercive and controlling behaviour between January 2020 and July 2022.

The trial continues.