‘Monster’ who abused fiancée Kiena Dawes before she took her own life is arrested behind bars alongside mother and new lover on suspicion they ‘coached him to give evidence’

A controlling ‘monster’ locked up for abusing his fiancée before she took her own life and blamed him ‘from beyond the grave’ was arrested alongside his mother and new girlfriend, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Ryan Wellings, 31, was jailed for six-and-a-half years in January after he was convicted of subjecting new mother Kiena Dawes, 23, to years of sickening domestic abuse and brutal violence.

Ms Dawes took her own life on July 22 2022 and wrote in her suicide note that she was ‘murdered’, adding: ‘Ryan Wellings killed me… He ruined every bit of strength I had left. I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t ask for it.’

In a case which sparked nationwide debate, Wellings became the first defendant in England to face trial for the unlawful killing of his partner after her suicide following domestic violence. 

Wellings, a landscape gardener from Bispham, Lancashire, was convicted of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour – but cleared of manslaughter.

In a final insult to Ms Dawes and her family, the unrepentant abuser blew a kiss to his new girlfriend, Emma Croft, as the verdict was read out.

The Daily Mail can reveal that Wellings, his mother Lisa Green, and Ms Croft were all arrested for allegedly perverting the course of justice. Ms Green and Ms Croft were released under investigation, while Wellings was hauled back behind bars while inquiries continue.

The trial at Preston Crown Court heard how 28-year-old Ms Croft, from Blackpool, and 52-year-old Ms Green, from Bispham, had allegedly been ‘coaching’ Wellings to give evidence.

Wellings made a series of ‘calls’ to the pair who had both attended the trial to support him from the public gallery.

The abuser, while being held at HMP Preston, was entitled to speak to family and friends but was not legally permitted to discuss his case with them while giving evidence.

But the prosecution said it was made aware of calls made where evidence was allegedly being discussed between them.

Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC told the court in January: ‘He has repeatedly discussed the content and nature of the evidence with Emma Croft and Lisa Green, during giving evidence and over the Christmas period.

‘The assessment of the prosecution is that the defendant has misconducted himself, as has Lisa Green and Emma Croft.

‘What has occurred here is effectively a scheme to coach the defendant in the evidence he’s giving.

‘There’s going to be an investigation into this by the police because, on the face of it, there’s been a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.’

A spokesman for Lancashire Police has now confirmed to the Daily Mail: ‘A 28-year-old woman from Blackpool, a 52-year-old woman from Bispham and a 31-year-old man of no fixed address were arrested on suspicion of committing an act / series of acts with intent to pervert the course of public justice. 

‘The women have been released under investigation while enquiries continue and the man has been released back into the custody of the prison service while enquiries continue.’

The date of their arrests were not disclosed by police. 

We revealed in February how Wellings had proposed to Ms Croft in a letter he left with Ms Green before the jury’s verdict.

Following the trial, Ms Croft agreed to ‘step down’ from her job at a beauty salon in Blackpool after the owner found the controversy surrounding her alleged involvement in the case was harming business.

But she stunned friends by telling them she will ‘stick by’ Wellings and has accepted his ‘proposal’, vowing to wait for him until his release.

One friend told the Daily Mail: ‘She keeps telling everyone they don’t really know the real Ryan, but she’s in complete denial.

‘The idea that she would even consider walking down the aisle with someone like him, having heard what was said in court, is quite incredible.’

Another former friend of Ms Croft’s said that she was ‘completely in thrall’ to Wellings and ‘in denial’ about the nature of his personality.

‘She’s got this fairytale view of him, but it’s caused so much bad feeling in Blackpool,’ said the friend.

‘The owner of the salon where she worked has had enough of the bad publicity and threatening messages, so she asked Emma to step down and she agreed.’

In a Facebook post, The Powder Room salon announced in February: ‘Please Read. In regards to recent media coverage, we would like to inform our client 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.

‘Police are aware of recent media comments and are staying in close contact with the owners of the salon. Thank you.’

Daily Mail approached Wellings’s mother Ms Green but she denied that her son was engaged to Ms Croft in February.

The trial heard how Wellings repeatedly lashed out at Ms Dawes, beating her while she was pregnant with his child, as well as threatening to drown her in a bath, drill her teeth and ‘make her look like Katie Piper’ by dousing her with acid.

He also urged Ms Dawes to kill herself, boasted that ‘hitting you is like hitting a man’ and, on one occasion, forced her head underwater in a bath and said: ‘Say goodbye to your baby’.

In one incident just 11 days before Ms Dawes’s death, on July 11 2022, he ‘launched’ her into a radiator with such force it broke the appliance off the wall, then slammed a door in her face – knocking her out and leaving her with blood pouring from her head.

She called police at least five times reporting domestic problems with Wellings. While she frequently downplayed her abuse to officers – due to threats from her partner – she did make a statement about the assault on July 11.

He was arrested for assault but bailed on condition he did not contact her, which he did.

The hairdresser left her nine-month-old daughter with a friend alongside a note before taking her own life on railway tracks, near Garstang, Lancashire, on July 22 2022.

The note, found on her phone, said: ‘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 didn’t deserve it.

‘I hope my life saves another by police services acting faster. Don’t let bullies live free.’

Addressing her daughter, she wrote: ‘I’m sorry I let you go… I’m so sorry I had to go.

‘The world turned their back on me. I was strong. I had dreams. I had a future at one point. That was taken away from me.’