A JEALOUS student who used her car as a weapon to kill her fiancé in a deadly “game of chicken” has been jailed for life.
Alice Wood, 23, deliberately rammed Ryan Watson, 24, with her Ford Fiesta after they rowed at a party.
Alice Wood killed her fiance using her car as a weapon
Ryan Watson was dragged for almost 160 metres
The student was captured on camera ramming the car into Ryan
She tearfully told police to shoot her in the head when she was arrested
Ryan was knocked under the car on the third attempt and dragged for 158 metres as witnesses heard a “life-threatening” scream.
Wood has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years after being convicted of murder.
Shocking footage showed the philosophy student repeatedly driving at her fiance as he straddles the bonnet.
After striking Ryan, she knocked on a door and told the homeowner: “Please phone an ambulance. I think I’ve ran over my boyfriend.”
In separate footage, Wood can be seen crying and holding her hands up as she’s arrested on suspicion of murder.
She tells an officer “Just shoot me in the head”, before accepting: “It’s fine, I deserve it”.
The couple had been at a party on May 6, 2022, in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, when the horror unfolded.
Ryan was seen “having a good time, being a gregarious and outgoing party guest, having fun and dancing”.
But by comparison, Wood was a “bit cold” as if she wasn’t “best pleased”.
One guest said she had “clicked” with Ryan during the charity bash but felt Wood “glaring” at her.
The couple left the party with Wood driving her boyfriend’s Fiat as they made their way home.
Once parked, she then got inside her own car where she reversed towards Ryan – almost hitting him, the court heard.
Wood then drove backwards and forwards as her boyfriend walked away.
Ryan was pulled under the front bumper and remained trapped under the car’s chassis for almost 160 metres.
Andrew Ford, KC, prosecuting, said: “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 drunk, in a motorcar.
“Things became fraught, he got out, kicked a door, and she lost her cool and used the car as a weapon.”
The court heard Wood was found to have 61 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, compared to the legal limit of 35.
She claimed she had drunk two glasses of white wine, two rums and a glass of champagne.
During her evidence, Wood sobbed as she told how it was like “stepping into a nightmare” when she realised Ryan was under her car.
She added: “It was like I was in hell, It didn’t seem real.”
Ryan’s mum pays a moving tribute
“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.”
Wood told the court she was just trying to “scare” her boyfriend after they rowed and his attitude “flipped”.
But jurors saw through her lies and she was previously found guilty of murder.
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.”
Ryan was hit three times by his fiancee
He could be seen on the bonnet of Wood’s car
The couple had earlier been at a party together
Wood told police ‘I deserve it’ when she was arrested
She was convicted of murder Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
