Judge Robert Altham says "given the gravity of the Ryan Wellings' offending there's no prospect of a sentence other than immediate custody."

Ryan Wellings subjected Kiena Dawes, his vulnerable partner, to assault and years of domestic abuse and was jailed this week for assault and coercive and controlling behaviour

Ryan Wellings, 30, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for controlling and coercive behaviour and assault - but was previously cleared of her manslaughter.

A charity which supports women has said it deals with the kind of domestic abuse experienced by Kiena Dawes every day and violent controlling behaviour by a perpetrator was "sadly not a rarity".

Ryan Wellings, 30, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for assault and coercive and controlling behaviour after Kiena Dawes, 23, left a suicide note calling her partner a “monster” who had “killed me”. Wellings was seen smiling as he left the dock following his sentencing.

Ryan Wellings, 30, was cleared of the unlawful killing of Kiena Dawes, 23, who left a suicide note calling her partner a “monster” who had “killed me”. | ITV News Granada

The young mother's relationship with Ryan Wellings, 30, turned from "a fairytale to a nightmare", the judge says, before she took her own life in 2022.

Monster' abuser Ryan Wellings is facing a tough time in prison after being convicted of tormenting his fiancée Kiena Dawes, with a legal expert warning that he will likely be subjected to targeted attacks and isolation from fellow inmates.