Police misconduct hearings over Kiena Dawes abuse

ODN

Three Lancashire Constabulary officers are facing disciplinary proceedings after 23-year-old mum, Kiena Dawes, took her own life following prolonged abuse by her former partner, 30-year-old Ryan Wellings. Ms Dawes was assaulted by Wellings two weeks before she died. He was arrested, and shortly afterwards, Ms Dawes reported him to the police for contacting her – a breach of his bail conditions. An officer had dismissed her complaint, and she was also urged to delete a Facebook post in which she had written about the abuse she’d endured. This all left her feeling, “unsupported” by police and she was upset that Wellings had not been, “locked up”. On Monday, Wellings was found guilty of assault and prolonged domestic abuse at Preston Crown Court but was cleared of manslaughter. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

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00:00Three police officers from Lancashire Constabulary are facing misconduct hearings following the

00:11death of Kiana Dawes.

00:13One officer faces disciplinary charges for alleged gross misconduct, while two others

00:18are accused of misconduct in connection with contact Miss Dawes made with police in the

00:23weeks before her death.

00:26The 23-year-old hairdresser from Fleetwood is seen here with her baby girl in July 2022.

00:33Moments later she would let herself into her friend's place, leaving her baby and her mobile

00:38phone inside.

00:41She then drove to a railway line and took her own life.

00:47On the phone she had left at her friend's, she had written a note saying her 30-year-old

00:52partner, Ryan Wellings, had killed her.

00:55He became the first defendant to be tried before a jury, accused of the unlawful killing

01:00of his partner after suicide.

01:03Yesterday Wellings was cleared of manslaughter at Preston Crown Court, although he was found

01:08guilty of assault and prolonged domestic abuse.

01:13This is just one example of what Kiana suffered.

01:16So he's pushed the door into you, has he?

01:18Yeah, yeah, he's smashed the door straight off me.

01:20Right.

01:21And you've passed out here, that's what he said.

01:25I've passed out here and I woke up with my head facing towards the sofa and she was screaming.

01:31I'm just trapped and confused.

01:36Wellings was arrested and shortly afterwards Miss Dawes reported him to the police for

01:41contacting her, a breach of his bail conditions.

01:45An officer had dismissed her complaint and she was also urged to delete a Facebook post

01:50in which she had written about the abuse she had endured, although her post did not name

01:55Wellings as the man responsible.

01:58Two weeks later, Kiana Dawes was dead.

02:04Lancashire Constabulary says it referred itself to the police complaints watchdog in July

02:092022 in relation to the contact its officers had had with Miss Dawes.

02:14Disciplinary hearings will take place in due course.

02:18Wellings will be sentenced on Thursday.

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