02 January 2024 , 11:59
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A woman who ran over her fiance and then told police "just shoot me in the head" as she was arrested, has been found guilty of his murder.
Alice Wood drove into her partner Ryan Watson near their home in Rode Heath, Cheshire, after driving them home from a party on May 6 last year, a trial at Chester Crown Court heard. The jury was told she had lost her temper, drove her Ford Fiesta at him then continued for 158 meters dragging him underneath. Today they returned a guilty verdict of guilty and the 23-year-old, who had just received a scholarship to study a master's at Cambridge, now faces a life sentence.
Mr Watson's family welcomed the verdict in a statement that told how they had been left "heartbroken" by Wood's actions, saying: "The one person Ryan trusted the most is the person who took his life in such a violent way." His mother added: "I am living in a nightmare knowing my son’s last moments were so brutal."
The prosecution's case was that Wood "lost her temper" and killed Mr Watson, 24, after the pair had been at a 60th birthday party for a service user of the Headway brain injury charity, which Mr Watson was a support worker for. Forensic pathologist Dr Matthew Lyall told the court he believed Mr Watson's cause of death was traumatic asphyxia and his injuries were consistent with being dragged along the road underneath the vehicle.
Andrew Ford KC, prosecuting, said: “Ryan Watson was caught on camera having a good time, being a gregarious and outgoing party guest, having fun and dancing. Whilst deeply serious and tragic, we say this is a simple case. She lost her temper, had an argument with her boyfriend when they were in drink (sic), in a motorcar. Things became fraught, he got out, kicked a door, and she lost her cool and used the car as a weapon.”
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Alice Wood has been on trial for murder (© Andrew Price / View Finder Pictures)Mr Ford said Ms Wood got into the Fiesta and reversed towards Mr Watson, almost hitting him, before driving it backwards and forwards in what one witness described as a “game of chicken”. Mr Watson walked away and stood in front of parked cars but Ms Wood drove directly into him, turning off the carriageway to hit him, the court was told. He was knocked on to the bonnet of her car but was able to stand, the jury was told.
Mr Ford said: “She drove straight into Ryan Watson for the second time, head on. This time he did not go over the bonnet – she knocked him clean over, under the vehicle’s front end.”
At about 11.30pm, Ms Wood knocked on the door of Theresa Colborne, who lived close to where she had stopped the car, and said: “Please phone an ambulance. I think I’ve ran over my boyfriend,” the court was told.
Alice Wood is accused of murder (Facebook)
Alice Wood (PA)The court had previously been shown bodyworn camera footage of Wood being arrested and in the car on the way to the police station, when she could be heard telling officers Mr Watson's name, date of birth, address and confirming he was her fiance. Witness Tiffany Ferriday said she had been at the party with her mother, who also used the charity, and sat at a table with Mr Watson and Wood.
She described Mr Watson, who she had met a couple of times before, as "very happy", "jolly" and "bubbly". She said: "Ryan was the light of the table. He was dancing with us all, he was involving everyone. Alice didn't really seem to get involved." Miss Ferriday confirmed to the court that she and Mr Watson had "clicked" and agreed Wood was "pretty much left out" of conversation.
Ryan Watson died underneath the car (PA)She said that at one point, Wood told Mr Watson: "Watch what you're drinking." Miss Ferriday said she felt like she was "getting stared at" by Wood for much of the night. In cross-examination, Miss Ferriday agreed she thought Wood was staring at her because of the way she and Mr Watson behaved with each other.
The court also heard Miss Ferriday left the party before Mr Watson and Wood but shortly after 11pm received three missed calls from an Instagram account called Ry, which she later learned was Mr Watson's account. The witness, who broke down in tears at points during her evidence, said she tried to ring back but that there was no answer and she sent a message saying "who's this?"
In a statement which was read to the court, the couple's neighbour Elaine Abbott said that some time after 11pm she heard the footsteps of two people she believed to be Mr Watson and Wood returning to their home on Oak Street. She said: "I heard Ryan shout something like 'oh God, not this again'. I then heard footsteps walking away." Rebecca Callister, who lives on Sandbach Road, told the court she was woken by the sound of metal crunching at about 11.30pm and when she looked out of the window, saw a man arguing with someone inside a car. She said she saw the car moving forwards towards the man. She added: "It looked like it was designed to intimidate and scare them a little bit."
The pair had been at a 60th birthday party on the night of the incident (Facebook)PC Alistair Robinson told the court he was called at 11.40pm and saw 23-year-old Wood's Ford Fiesta with the body of a man underneath it. He said he was informed a female connected to the incident was at a nearby address and established that she was to be arrested on suspicion of murder. He said Wood was sitting on a sofa in the living room of the house and "sobbing". He added: "I could smell alcohol. She appeared drunk."
The officer said she was arrested on suspicion of murder by his colleague, then breathalysed and arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Mr Robinson, 24, said as they travelled to custody in a police van his colleague explained what would happen when they got to the police station and Wood replied: "That's fine, I deserve it."
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His colleague then told her everyone would look after her and she replied "I don't deserve it", Mr Robinson said. He said Wood was compliant and when they got to the police station a further breathalyser test was carried out. He told the court: "On a couple of occasions she said words to the effect of 'you should just shoot me in the head' whilst she was crying."
Giving evidence during the trial Wood sobbed as she said it was like "stepping into a nightmare" when she realised Ryan was under her car. "It was like I was in hell, It didn't seem real," she said.
She added that she was trying to scare Ryan and added that he his attitude flipped when they rowed. She told the court: "Straight away he was accusing me of flirting with other men at the party and he started calling me a s**g, saying I'd embarrassed him and shown him up in front of everyone.
"I'd said for a final time 'Ryan, just go inside, just go to bed and I'll be back in the morning, I'm going to go to my mum's' and after that he said 'your mum's f***ing dead'."
David Jones, Senior Crown Prosecutor in CPS Mersey-Cheshire, 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.”
Wood will be sentenced at a later date but was taken into custody.
Mr Watson’s family said: “Today we finally got justice for our beloved son Ryan. 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. 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 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.
“We are grateful today we got justice for Ryan. It’s been so hard to watch the CCTV footage of our son getting hit by her car over and over again, then dragged up the road still being trapped under her car. I can’t imagine how scared Ryan must have been at that moment. The one person Ryan trusted the most is the person who took his life in such a violent way. I am living in a nightmare knowing my son’s last moments were so brutal.
“We saw the CCTV footage at the party that night. We are so proud to see him being such a gentleman to everyone, even helping an old lady who had fallen over. He was the life and soul of the party that night. 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. To Cheshire Police, Nigel Parr and the Major Investigation Team, liaison officers Tom, Kerry and Kate, thank you for all the support we received through this difficult time. A special thank you for the outstanding work from Mr (Andrew) Ford and his team and the CPS. Thank you to all the jury and His Honour Judge Leeming. Thank you for all your hard work to help get this fair verdict and justice for Ryan.”