Student jailed for murder after running over her partner

A student at Manchester University has been imprisoned for the murder of her partner after running him over.

Alice Wood, 23, was today (Friday 2 February 2024) sentenced to serve a minimum term of 18 years imprisonment at Chester Crown Court.

Wood killed her partner, Ryan Watson, who was 24 years old, by deliberately running him over outside their home in Rode Heath, Cheshire.

On 6 May 2022, Alice Wood and Ryan Watson attended a birthday party for one of the service users of the charity Watson was a Support Worker for.

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. Woods was breathalysed and found to be well above the legal driving limit.

Woods 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.’

These admissions of guilt, along with the extensive CCTV footage meant the evidence stacked up against Woods, and the jury ruled that she was 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.”