In a dramatic turn of events, 24-year-old Alice Wood has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 18 years, for the brutal murder of her fiancé, 24-year-old Ryan Watson. The crime, which shocked the Chester community, occurred after a heated argument, culminating in Wood repeatedly striking Watson with her car, a Ford Fiesta, following a party.
Surveillance cameras captured the horrifying moment when Wood, in a fit of rage, drove into Watson multiple times, dragging him for 158 meters under the vehicle. Prosecutor Andrew Ford KC described the incident as an act of extreme anger, where Wood used the car as a weapon against Watson, following an argument at the 60th birthday party they were attending in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.
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Party witnesses reported that Wood seemed excluded and cold throughout the night, while Watson was enjoying himself, dancing, and being the center of attention. However, Wood claimed that the argument started when Watson accused her of flirting with other men, after which the situation quickly escalated into physical violence.
After the attack, Wood sought help by knocking on a neighbor’s door and asking them to call an ambulance, confessing to running over her fiancé. When the police arrived, they found Wood with a blood alcohol level more than double the legal limit, leading to her immediate arrest on suspicion of drunk driving and murder.
During transport to custody, Wood expressed remorse, telling an officer, “It’s okay, I deserve this.” And in a moment of desperation, she even asked the officers to execute her while crying.
Wood, described as a brilliant student, was preparing for final exams in theology, philosophy, and ethics at the University of Manchester and had a scholarship for a research master’s degree at Cambridge. Friends and acquaintances expressed shock and disbelief at the crime, describing Wood as a quiet, friendly, and intelligent person.
After the conviction, Judge Michael Leeming warned Wood that she may never be released, while Watson’s family mourned the tragic and violent loss, highlighting the irony of Watson having trusted someone who ultimately took his life in such a brutal way. Wood’s sentence marks a sad conclusion to a case that left a community in mourning and a family devastated by the loss of a loved one.
