Ryan Wellings’ new girlfriend Emma Croft, who loyally supported the thug during his trial, paid tribute to his victim Kiena Dawes on Facebook after her tragic suicide
Ryan Wellings’ new girlfriend shamefully paid a series of glowing tributes to his victim, Kiena Dawes, after her death.
Brave mum Kiena was abused for years at the hands of her thug fiancé Wellings, 30, before she felt as though she had nowhere else to turn and tragically took her own life aged 23. The hairdresser left a note on her phone before her suicide on July 22, 2022, which read: “Ryan Wellings killed me.”
Wellings was yesterday sentenced to six years behind bars after being found guilty of assault and coercive behaviour and cleared of manslaughter. Throughout the harrowing trial, one person sat loyally supporting the convicted bully in court – his new girlfriend, Emma Croft, who previously shared her ‘heartbreak’ at Kiena’s death.
Emma, who chillingly resembles Kiena with her long brown hair, has faithfully stood by Wellings, 30, since he was incarerated last year. After his guilty verdict was read out on Monday, Wellings smiled at Emma in the courtroom and blew her a kiss as he was led away. All the while, Kiena’s sister could be seen weeping as the verdict was read out.
At the sentencing yesterday, Emma was nowhere to be seen, and Wellings instead had the support of his mother, Lisa Green, who was forced to listen to the heartbreaking words of Kiena’s mother, Angeles Dawes. She revealed how the tragedy has devastated her granddaughter, saying: “Her daughter has already asked me where her mummy is. I have found it impossible to answer that question.”
It is believed that Emma and Wellings sparked a romance early last year, and statuses from her now-deleted Facebook page reveal that she knew who Kiena was and chillingly paid tributes to her after her death. In August 2022, she wished Kiena a “happy heavenly birthday”.
In July 2022, Emma reposted Kiena’s brother’s Facebook status, in which he shared where people could lay flowers for his late sister. Emma reposted it with a tribute that read: “Heartbreaking [broken heart emoji] the most beautiful girl inside and out [heart emoji] thinking of all your family and little girl xxxx.”
Emma’s support for Wellings after posting the tributes for Kiena online left the tortured mum’s close friend reeling. Kirsty Brunn, who Kiena previously called her ‘best friend’ on social media, shared the screenshots of Emma’s Facebook posts with a message of fury. Talking about Emma, she said: “She’s even took flowers for Kiena.”
Kirsty wrote: “The few occasions I was able to be present in the court gallery she acted like she was a celebrity smirking and smiling with pure smugness.” She claimed that Emma and Ryan became a couple in April 2024, just months before he was remanded in prison, and said: “Emma Croft and Ryan Wellings are both vindictive weird individuals and deserve to rot together.”
It was revealed earlier this week that the beauty salon where Croft worked had publicly shared she no longer works there. The Powder Room beauty salon in Bispham reassured its clients that she was no longer an employee, but it remains unclear when and why she left the role. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, it said: “In regards to recent media coverage, we would like to inform our clients that Emma Croft no longer works at the Powder Room.”
Harrowing details of the violent abuse suffered by Kiena were played out in court. The trial was told how Wellings assaulted Kiena while she was pregnant and issued horrifying threats to drown her in a bath, drill her teeth and ‘make her look like Katie Piper’ by throwing acid on her face.
In the suicide note penned on her phone, Kiena had said her relationship with the former landscape gardener, which started in early 2020, turned from “fairy tale to nightmare”. During the following two years, Wellings would regularly slap his partner, “rag” her by her hair and drained her of money while she worked two jobs and he was unable to hold down work.
Along with Wellings’ mum Lisa Green, Croft is now under police investigation after allegedly coaching him before he gave evidence. While on remand, Wellings made a number of calls to the pair, who attended the trial. While allowed to speak to family and friends from HMP Preston, he was not legally permitted to discuss the case with them.
- For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.
- For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk.
