Kiena Dawes death: Police face questions

Kiena Dawes’ suicide note said she hoped the police would act “faster” in cases like hers – and three police officers are now facing disciplinary proceedings.

Miss Dawes had called police at least five times reporting domestic problems with Ryan Wellings.

But on many occasions, through fear and threats from Wellings, she downplayed the abuse to officers, covered for him and refused to pursue a complaint, Preston Crown Court heard.

But 11 days before her death, on July 11, 2022, she did make a statement after a final assault by Wellings.

He had attacked her again, knocked her unconscious, leaving her battered and needing hospital treatment.

This last assault was the, “straw that broke the camels back,” the trial of Wellings heard, who denied manslaughter, assault and coercive and controlling behaviour.

He was arrested on suspicion of assault and bailed on condition he not contact Miss Dawes, directly or indirectly.

But six days later, at 2.51am on July 17, Miss Dawes had a missed call from Wellings’ ex-girlfriend, Kayleigh Anderson’s number.

When she rang back Wellings was on the other end, threatening her.

She reported this to police as a breach of bail and sent screenshots of abusive texts from Wellings, saying, “Why the f*** did you tell the police?”

But as she gave a statement to a police officer and told how she had rang Anderson’s number back following a missed call, the statement was abruptly stopped and the officer concluded there had been no breach of bail.

Miss Dawes was also told by police to take down a Facebook post, not naming Wellings, but detailing the domestic violence she alleged she had suffered.

This all left her feeling, “unsupported” by police and she was upset that Wellings had not been, “locked up”.

Days later she wrote her suicide note before taking her life on a railway line, saying: “I hope my life saves another by police services acting faster.

“Don’t let bullies live free.

“Make sure the person who is tortured is heard. Let them have a voice. I lost my voice to them.”

A spokesman for watchdogs, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said: “Our investigation into the contact between Lancashire Constabulary and Kiena Dawes, before her death is complete.

“We examined the police response to Miss Dawes being reported missing, as well as the police response to earlier reports that she had been the victim of assaults.

“Following the conclusion of our investigation in July 2023, we found one officer had a case to answer for gross misconduct and two officers had a case to answer for misconduct relating to actions or omissions connected to Ms Dawes’s reports of domestic abuse.

“We found no case to answer for a fourth officer who was under investigation for potential misconduct.

“It is for Lancashire Constabulary to arrange police disciplinary hearings which will determine the outcome.

“Our thoughts remain with Miss Dawes’ loved ones and all those affected by her death.”

The disciplinary hearings for the three officers involved will now go ahead after the conclusion of Wellings’ trial, following which he was cleared of manslaughter but convicted of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour.