A woman who took her own life following years of alleged abuse at the hands of her boyfriend told a 999 operator ‘I don’t want to die’ just two weeks before her death, a court heard.

Kiena Dawes, 23, was found by a railway near Garstang, Lancashire, after leaving a note on her phone claiming she had been ‘murdered slowly’ through abuse at the hands of her partner Ryan Wellings. 

Her body was discovered on July 22, 2022, having suffered multiple injuries when she was struck by a Glasgow-bound train travelling at 110mph. 

The mother-of-one was fearful of ending the relationship because Wellings had told her if she ever did ‘he would throw acid in her face like Katie Piper so nobody else would want to be with her’, it was heard previously.

Wellings, 30, is on trial accused of her manslaughter and the prosecution allege she died as as a result of his ‘unlawful acts’. He denies manslaughter, ABH and coercive control.

Prosecutors claim he took advantage of Kiena’s vulnerability due to her mental health, and subjected her to two-and-a-half years of coercive and controlling behaviour during their on-off relationship and was repeatedly violent and abusive towards her.

COURT HEARD

In a harrowing 999 call played in court, Kiena reported she had been involved in a road accident on July 4 and she said: ‘I don’t want to die.’

She told the operator she had been thinking about mental health and ‘didn’t even see the car in front’. 

She said: ‘I’ve got a really bad mental health condition that has been getting a lot worse each day.’

‘I always write notes all the time in case I just do it one day but I have got a baby and I don’t want to die. I want to be with my baby. I can’t get my head to work. I just want to sleep all the time.’

Kiena told the operator she had been mentally unwell for a long time and took medication for her condition. 

When asked about suicide, she said: ‘I don’t want to die. My head’s just gone. I need some help. I’m trying really hard not to feel like this.’

Dr Nicholas Kennedy told the jury that in February 2021, Kiena told health professionals she had a long standing fear of abandonment, which would have made it more difficult to walk away from a ‘toxic’ relationship.