'It's fine, I deserve it': Woman arrested after running over and killing boyfriend, dragging his body nearly 160 metres

4 December 2023, 20:42 | Updated: 4 December 2023, 21:03

By Jasmine Moody

A woman has been accused of murdering her boyfriend outside their home in Rode Heath, Cheshire, driving nearly 160 metres with him under the car.

Alice Wood, 23, is accused of murdering Ryan Watson, 24 after 'losing her temper' on 6 May 2022.

Earlier that evening, the couple had attended a birthday party in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, for a user of the Headway brain charity, where Mr Watson was a support worker.

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."

Guests said that whilst Mr Watson "worked the room", Wood acted "a bit cold" as if she "wasn't best pleased" with her boyfriend.

After leaving, Wood drove Mr Watson's car, a Fiat Punto, back to their residence in Oak Street, Rode Heath, and parked on a concrete area behind her car, a black Ford Fiesta.

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Mr Ford said that the incident was a “simple case”, though still "deeply serious and tragic".

"She (Wood) lost her temper, had an argument with her boyfriend."

The court was then told how Mr Watson left the vehicle and kicked the door, before Wood decided to use "the car as a weapon".

Mr Ford said that Wood got into her Fiesta and reversed towards Mr Watson, narrowly missing him, before driving backwards and forwards.

One witness described the incident as a "game of chicken".

Mr Watson walked away and stood in front of parked cars but Wood still drove directly into him, turning off the carriageway to hit him.

He was knocked on to the bonnet of the car but could stand, the jury was told.

Mr Ford continued: "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."

Staff in the nearby Jade Garden Chinese takeaway described hearing a "life-threatening scream".

Mr Ford added that Wood drove 158 metres with Mr Watson under the car.

At around 11:30pm, 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.

Police arrived and took Wood into custody.

She was arrested on suspicion of murder and told an officer: "It's fine, I deserve it", adding "you should just shoot me in the head".

She said she drank two glasses of white wine, two rums and a glass of champagne and was found to have 61 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, compared to the legal limit of 35, the court heard.

Wood denies murder.

The court heard how the couple moved in together into Mr Watson’s flat during the Covid lockdown in 2020.

They then moved in together in their own home in Rode Heath, Cheshire, the following year.

The trial is due to last for three weeks at Chester Crown Court.