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Miss Dawes’ sister wept and her mother looked straight ahead as the defendant was cleared of manslaughter.
Wellings, who will be sentenced at a later date on the charges for which he was convicted, smiled and blew a kiss to his current girlfriend in the public gallery as he was led away.
During the trial the jury heard Ms Dawes, a 23-year-old hairdresser, from Fleetwood in Lancashire, left a note saying “I was murdered” and that Wellings had “killed [her]” before taking her own life on 22 July 2022.
The defence said her medical records showed she had a history of mental health problems starting from the age of 13, frequent drug and alcohol use, thoughts of suicide and attempts to take her own life before and after she met Wellings.
Jurors heard Ms Dawes had suffered two years of violence and abuse at the hands of Wellings.
She had been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality disorder, resulting in increased impulsivity, poor self-esteem and difficulty in relationships, a condition allegedly exploited by the defendant.
Wellings told jurors he had never intentionally hit her, adding that any injuries she had sustained were the result of him “restraining” her when she attacked him.
