Killer girlfriend to serve at least 18 years

A THEOLOGY student who murdered her boyfriend by mowing him down in her car has been told by a judge that she will find prison “hard” as she was jailed for life.

Alice Wood, 24, used her Ford Fiesta as a weapon to run over and kill her fiance, Ryan Watson, after accusing him of flirting with another woman.

Mr Watson, 24, a support worker at the brain injury charity Headway, was dragged more than 500 feet underneath the car and died as a result of his injuries.

Wood, who was in her final year of a philosophy, ethics and theology degree at Manchester University, had claimed it was an accident, but following a three-week trial at Chester Crown Court, she was found guilty of murder.

Jailing her for life, a judge told Wood she would have to serve a minimum of 18 years before she would be eligible to apply for parole.

Judge Michael Leeming told Wood, who had been planning to complete a postgraduate degree at Cambridge University: “Prison may be hard for you, Alice Wood, but you only have yourself to blame for the situation you now find yourself in.”

Party guest Tiffany Ferriday told the court she and Mr Watson had “clicked” and Wood was “pretty much left out” of conversation.

But Wood told the court that when she drove Mr Watson home from the party in his car, despite knowing she was over the drink-drive limit, he “flipped” and accused her of flirting with other men.

The student described an argument that continued when they returned to the house they owned in Oak Street. She told the court she went out to her car to leave but Mr Watson followed.

Mr Ford told the court that Wood “lost her temper” and “used the car as a weapon”.

The jury was told Mr Watson was trapped underneath the car as Wood drove 158 metres before stopping.

Alice Wood, 24, was found guilty of the murder of her boyfriend Ryan Watson, 24