Judge's comments broadcast as Ryan Wellings jailed for abuse of Kiena Dawes
As Ryan Wellings was sentenced for the campaign of domestic abuse he inflicted on the vulnerable mother of his child, the cameras began to roll.
The Honorary Recorder of Preston, Judge Robert Altham, sentenced Wellings to six and a half years in jail after he was convicted of ABH and coercive and controlling behaviour towards Kiena Dawes.
It is only the third time that cameras have been granted permission to record the judge's sentencing remarks at Preston Crown Court. The first case to be broadcast was the sentencing of Ellie Williams, who was jailed for eight and a half years for perverting the course of justice.
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Williams claimed she had been groomed and raped by a gang of Asian men in Barrow-in-Furness, Blackpool and Preston. One man was jailed for three months, another ostracised from his community as a result of Williams' lies.
The sentencing remarks for Karen Foster, the killer childminder who was jailed for 12 years for shaking baby Harlow Collinge to death were also broadcast from court.
The ability to broadcast sentencing remarks was introduced in 2020 as part of a plan to allow greater access to open justice. The move means the public can hear the judge's reasons behind the sentence he or she passes.
In Wellings' case, the jury returned a not guilty verdict for manslaughter - a case which would have been a legal first if he had been found guilty. However the jury found that despite his denials, he abused Kiena throughout their relationship and injured her during a row at their flat 11 days before she died.