Woman covered in blood days before death - trial
A young woman was found "covered in blood" just days before she was allegedly driven to suicide by an abusive partner, a jury has been told.
PC Stephanie Sawyer said that when she visited Kiena Dawes before she died at her home in Fleetwood, Lancashire, there was blood all over her.
The 23-year-old had called 999 to report a domestic incident with Ryan Wellings, Preston Crown Court heard.
Mr Wellings, 30, of Bispham, Lancashire, denies manslaughter, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour to Ms Dawes between January 2020 and her death on 22 July 2022.
The court has previously heard Ms Dawes had left a note which said "I was murdered" and that her partner, Mr Wellings, had "killed me" before taking her own life on a railway line - 11 days after the alleged domestic violence incident.
'Upset and crying'
PC Sawyer told the jury about the scene when she got to Ms Dawes' flat at about 22:30 BST on 11 July.
She said: "There was blood on the floor in the communal corridor.
"She was covered in blood, on her hands, on her face. She was upset and she was crying. She had a cut to the right side of her head.
"There was a broken towel rail in the bathroom."
'In fear'
Ms Dawes said in a police statement that Mr Wellings had called her a "schizophrenic freak" during the row, and had "launched" her into a bathroom radiator causing it to break from the wall and had slammed the door towards her, hitting her head, causing her to black out and cut her head.
Mr Wellings was later arrested but said he had tried to restrain her from attacking him.
Kevin O'Rourke, a domestic violence adviser at the hospital, told the court he spoke to Ms Dawes to complete a risk assessment.
His notes of what she told him detailed "emotional and physical abuse", controlling behaviour, telling her to "kill herself" and living "in fear" of Mr Wellings.
The court heard there were earlier incidents of alleged domestic violence but Ms Dawes had decided she did not want to "press charges."
Prosecutors allege Mr Wellings' violence, bullying and abuse weakened Ms Dawes, making her more vulnerable to death by suicide and the alleged assault on 1 July "broke her".
Ms Dawes, a hairdresser, had been diagnosed with an Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, resulting in increased impulsivity, poor self-esteem and difficulty in relationships, the jury was told.
The court has heard that the couple met in January 2020 and an "intense" relationship began, with Mr Wellings having Ms Dawes' name and face tattooed on his body a week after first meeting her and proposing marriage within three months.
Mr Wellings denies attacking her and the defence team maintains Ms Dawes was a "troubled" woman, whose mental health issues pre-dated meeting him and her decision to take her own life was the result of "multiple factors".
The trial continues.
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also send story ideas to [email protected]