A man accused of the manslaughter of a young mother told his alleged victim “hitting you is like hitting a man”, a court heard.

Hairdresser Kiena Dawes, 23, left her nine-month-old daughter with a friend, along with a suicide note and took her own life on a railway line after suffering years of abuse from her partner Ryan Wellings, 30, Preston Crown Court has heard.

Vulnerable Ms Dawes, who had a history of fragile mental health, left the note which claimed “I was murdered” and that Wellings had “killed me”.

Wellings, of Bispham, Lancashire, denies manslaughter, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour to Ms Dawes between January 2020 and her death on July 22, 2022.

Prosecutors told the jury of seven women and five men that Wellings’ alleged violence was used to “grind” down Miss Dawes, leading to her taking her own life.

Wellings’ defence claims Ms Dawes’ accusations against him are either untrue or exaggerated and any injuries she suffered before her death were a result of his attempts to restrain her or accidental.

On the second day of the trial Miss Dawes’s best friend, Kacie Valentine, was asked about what her friend had told her about her relationship with Wellings.

Ms Valentine said she felt it “weird” that Wellings had got a tattoo of Kiena’s name on his neck just a week after meeting her.

Later she discovered Miss Dawes had fallen out with Wellings and moved to live with a friend in Dorset and was “back to her normal self”.

But she then received a photo from Miss Dawes showing a ring on her finger and discovered Wellings had proposed to her on a beach with a banner saying, “Will you marry me?” and she had said yes to the proposal.

Ms Valentine said on around five occasions Miss Dawes told her Wellings had been violent towards her, leaving her with injuries.

These included a cut on her leg, bruises to her ribs and a black eye.

Ms Valentine said Miss Dawes had told her that when Wellings would attack her, he would say to her: “Hitting you is like hitting a man.”

Ms Valentine said sometimes her friend would come and stay at her house because Wellings would “binge on drink and cocaine”.

The jury were shown messages from Miss Dawes to Wellings which read: “Coke is what’s gone wrong. I can’t bring a baby up like that. I told you 100 times not to buy any more.”

Miss Dawes told Wellings the drugs made him “aggressive” but his message response read: “Come on. Sorry xx”.

Miss Dawes replied: “No, I’m sick of you hitting me.”

Earlier, John Jones KC, defending Wellings, told the jury whatever the difficulties in their relationship they were not the reason why Miss Dawes chose to kill herself, a decision made because of “multiple factors”.

He said: “That relationship had been loving, affectionate and otherwise good, but at times both difficult and stormy.

“It is not part of my defence to raise any adverse comment or criticism against anyone.

“Nothing I say is intended to adversely trespass on the memory of a young woman who apparently was almost universally loved and regarded with affection.”

Mr Jones continued: “Kiena Dawes was a very troubled young lady. The evidence will reveal she had a long, troubled psychiatric history and had made several, some might say, determined attempts at suicide in the past.”

The trial continues.