Student, 23, found guilty of murder after 'losing her temper' and running over fiancé
2 January 2024, 12:14 | Updated: 2 January 2024, 13:03
A philosophy student who "lost her temper" and ran over her fiance has been found guilty of his murder.
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Alice Wood, 23, ran over her boyfriend, Ryan Watson, 24, after driving home from a party on May 6 2022.
She repeatedly drove her Ford Fiesta at him in what witnesses described as a game of "chicken" near the home they shared in Rode Heath, Cheshire, at around 11.30pm.
A row was said to have broken out between the pair after Mr Watson “clicked” with another woman at the party, Chester Crown Court heard.
It was said they had been attending the 60th birthday celebration of a charity user, which Mr Watson was a support worker for.
Andrew Ford KC, prosecuting, said Mr Watson was seen on CCTV footage "having a good time, being a gregarious and outgoing party guest", while Wood was described by one woman attending as "a bit cold".
Wood denied murder and an alternative count of manslaughter as she claimed her boyfriend's death was a "tragic accident".
She told her trial she did not realise he was trapped underneath her car when she drove 158 metres up Sandbach Road before stopping.
She said when she drove Mr Watson home from the party in his car, despite knowing she was over the drink drive limit, he "flipped" and accused her of flirting with other men.
The student described an argument which continued when they returned to the house they owned in Oak Street and led to Mr Watson grabbing her by her hair extensions and holding her head over the oven hob.
She said she went out to her car to leave but Mr Watson followed and they continued to argue as he stood outside the car.
CCTV showed her reverse the vehicle, hitting Mr Watson's car, a bin and a bollard.
The car could be seen in the footage reversing into Sandbach Road as Mr Watson walked away, but then swerved off the road towards him.
Wood intended to "scare" Mr Watson because he had threatened her mother but planned to stop short of him and was "shocked" when she saw him on the bonnet of the car, she told the court.
The CCTV showed the car reverse and then move forward, hitting Mr Watson a second time and knocking him underneath the car before driving away.
Wood showed no emotion as the jury returned its unanimous verdict after less than eight hours of deliberation on Tuesday.
Judge Michael Leeming said: "You have been convicted of the murder of Ryan Watson. There is only one sentence that the law allows and that is life imprisonment.
"I am required to consider the minimum term you must serve in custody before the Parole Board deems it safe for you to be released.
"You may never be released. It is a matter entirely for the Parole Board."
Wood has been remanded in custody to be sentenced on January 29.
Following the sentencing, Detective Inspector Nigel Parr said: “While no conviction is going to bring Ryan back, I hope it will bring some sense of closure for his family, knowing that justice has been served.
“The night Ryan died, Wood used her vehicle as a weapon, while under the influence of alcohol, deliberately driving at him and even continuing to drive after knocking him down.
“She knew what she had done, but since then has refused to take accountability for her actions.
“Thankfully, as a result of our investigation and the evidence against her, she has been found guilty of Ryan’s murder.
“Our thoughts remain with Ryan’s family and friends as they continue to deal with the devastating events that took place.”
David Jones, senior Crown Prosecution Service prosecutor said: "This was a tragic loss of life of a young man with his whole life ahead of him.
"Under the influence of alcohol, it was clear that Alice Wood's jealousy was ammunition enough for her to brutally kill her partner.
"Though it will never make up for their devastating loss, I hope today's conviction brings Ryan's family some solace, knowing his murderer has been brought to justice."
Woman arrested for running over her fiance
A statement from Mr Watson's family said they had finally got justice for their son.
"Ryan’s death has left our family heartbroken. He was taken from us far too soon, he was just a young man, 24 years old, with his whole life ahead of him," the family said.
"He had just started his career working for the charity Headway and helping other people, which is what he loved to do.
"Ryan had such a big personality; he was a bubbly, fun-loving, caring person with a heart of his gold who would do anything for anyone. Ryan loved animals and his dogs. Ryan was always good at sports like football, BMX biking and pool. He loved hanging out with his mates and playing his music.
"He will be forever missed. All his family and friends are heartbroken to know we never get to see him again. Words cannot express how devastated and lost we are without Ryan.
"He touched the hearts and enriched the lives of everyone who knew him. We only had 24 years together, but we are proud to say he was our son and a fantastic big brother."
They went on to say: "Alice is in prison where she belongs. But no sentence is going to be long enough for what she has taken from us and Ryan, he’ll never get to live his life and fulfil his dreams.
"We would like to say thank you to all the emergency services and people at the scene that helped Ryan."
