'Jealous' Cheshire woman who ran over fiance and hit him 'several times' found guilty of murder

A woman was found guilty of murder after running over her fiance and hitting him 'several times' after an argument fueled by jealously. Alice Wood, 23, killed her partner Ryan Watson, 24, by running him over outside their home with her Ford Fiesta in Rode Heath, Cheshire at about 11.30pm on May 6, 2022.

The Manchester University student was heard to have attended a birthday party with Ryan for one of the service users of the charity he was a Support Worker for on that fateful night. Tension was noticed between the pair after a row over who was driving them home, further fuelled by Watson enjoying the company of the party attendees, notably a woman Woods later accused Watson of flirting with.

CCTV footage from both the car park at the venue in Hanley, central Stoke and from a restaurant situated on the road of their house, tracked the couple leaving the party and driving home with Woods driving. Upon arriving back at their shared home, the pair had an argument, after which Watson is seen exiting the vehicle and kicking a nearby car in frustration.

The footage then captured Wood reversing her car into Watson, who was crossing the road. She went on to hit him several times. When paramedics arrived at the scene, they pronounced Watson dead, crush asphyxiation later being found as the cause of death. Alice was breathalysed and found to be well above the legal driving limit.

Alice was arrested on suspicion of murder and interviewed by the police. Though she made no comment in the interviews, she admitted guilt on multiple occasions. She told her GP her boyfriend had died the previous week, having jumped in front of her car, and on the way to the police station admitted ‘I deserve it.’

She was found guilty of murder by jury following her admissions of guilt, along with the extensive CCTV footage.

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.

“She is now a convicted murderer and Ryan Watson is dead – at her hands. 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.” 

Alice is expected to be sentenced on January 29.