Harrowing moment murderer mowed down ‘fun-loving’ Ryan in ‘deadly game of chicken’

Harrowing CCTV footage captured the moment drink-driving murderer Alice Wood mowed down her fiance in a 'fatal game of chicken'. The 23-year-old, a 'very clever' philosophy student with a postgraduate place at Cambridge, was today convicted of murdering Ryan Watson,[1] 24, after a jury rejected her claim that his death was a 'tragic accident'. The engaged couple had started arguing at the party at Hanley's Victoria Lounge on May 6 last year.

Wood drove them back in Ryan's car to their home in Rode Heath before Wood got into her own Ford Fiesta. Around this time, neighbours reported hearing shouting, doors slamming, and a car engine revving. CCTV footage from around 11.30pm showed Wood reversing the Ford Fiesta, hitting Ryan's car, a bin and a bollard.

The car could be seen in t he footage reversing into Sandbach Road, knocking Ryan onto the bonnet. Footage then showed Ryan walking away from the collision. READ: Couple caught on CCTV partying in Hanley's Victoria Lounge hours before murder[2] Alice Wood was found guilty of the murder of Ryan Watson following a three-week trial

READ: Judge warns murderer Alice Wood: 'You may never be released'[3] Alice Wood, from Cheadle, will be jailed for life for the murder of Ryan Watson In what witnesses referred to as a 'game of chicken', Wood then swerved into him a third time, trapping him under the front bumper as she drove for nearly 160 metres along Sandbach Road before finally coming to a stop near to Keats Drive. Wood told the court she had intended to "scare" Ryan 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.

Wood - who was three times over the limit - then got out of the car and knocked on a neighbour's door before telling them: 'Please phone an ambulance, I think I've run over my boyfriend'.

Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene. Upon arrest a sobbing Wood told officers: 'It's fine, I deserve it'. During his opening, prosecutor Andrew Ford said "she lost her temper" and "used the car as a weapon".

In tears during much of her evidence, Wood said she had stopped the car and got out after travelling a short distance down the road because she felt it was not accelerating properly. She said: "It was like stepping into a nightmare because I could see Ryan underneath the car. It was like I was in hell, It didn't seem real."

Wood, of Draycott Cross Road, Cheadle, denied murder and an alternative count of manslaughter.

She told her trial at Chester Crown Court she did not realise he was trapped underneath her car. She showed no emotion as the jury returned its unanimous verdict after less than eight hours of deliberation. The court heard Wood was preparing for final exams in a theology, philosophy and ethics degree at the time and had since been awarded the degree based on the material she had already produced.

She had a scholarship for a part-time research masters at Cambridge, the jury was told. On the first day of the trial, she had a copy of the book Meditations, a philosophy text by Roman Marcus Aurelius, under her arm as she was led in handcuffs from the prison van to the court.

In a statement, Ryan's family said it had been 'so hard' to repeatedly watch the CCTV footage shown in court of the moment he was killed while trapped under the car. They 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 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. "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 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." David Jones, senior crown prosecutor at 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."

Sentencing will take place on January 29.

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References

1. ^ convicted of murdering Ryan Watson, (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
2. ^ Couple caught on CCTV partying in Hanley's Victoria Lounge hours before murder (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
3. ^ Judge warns murderer Alice Wood: 'You may never be released' (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
4. ^ Sign up to our main daily newsletter here and get all the latest news straight to your inbox for FREE (data.reachplc.com)