Mother of support worker murdered by 'jealous' fiancé says son 'will be forever missed'

Lisa Watson's full statement outside Chester Crown Court.

The mother of a support worker mown down by his fiancé after she "lost her temper" says she has "finally got justice" following the murder conviction

Ryan Watson, 24, was hit by Alice Wood's Ford Fiesta near the home they shared in Rode Heath, Cheshire, at about 11:30pm on 6 May 2023.

Wood had "lost her temper" and repeatedly drove her car at Ryan, trapping him underneath the vehicle.

Wood denied murder, but after eight hours of deliberation a jury returned an unanimous verdict finding her guilty.

Speaking outside Chester Crown Court, his mother, Lisa Watson, said her son had been "taken from us far too soon."

She said: "“He was just a young man, 24 years old, with his whole life ahead of him. He had just started his career working for the charity Headway and helping other people, which is what he loved to do.

“Ryan had such a big personality. He was a bubbly, fun-loving, caring person with a heart of gold who would do anything for anyone.

"Ryan loved animals and his dogs. Ryan was always good at sports like football, BMX biking and pool.

"He loved hanging out with his mates and playing his music.

“He will be forever missed. All his family and friends are heartbroken to know we never get to see him again.

"Words cannot express how devastated and lost we are without Ryan. He touched the hearts and enriched the lives of everyone who knew him."

• Alice Wood,23, drove her car into her partner Ryan Watson near the home they shared in Cheshire

Lisa went on to describe the pain the trial had brought to the family, with the footage of his murder played repeatedly throughout.

She said: "It’s been so hard to watch the CCTV footage of our son getting hit by her car over and over again, then dragged up the road still being trapped under her car.

“I can’t imagine how scared Ryan must have been at that moment.

“The one person Ryan trusted the most is the person who took his life in such a violent way. I am living in a nightmare knowing my son’s last moments were so brutal."

Events leading up to his death were also shown to the jury. CCTV footage shows Ryan and Alice Wood had spent the evening at a work party in Stoke-on-Trent, where he was described by his colleagues as "having a good time, being a gregarious and outgoing party guest".

On seeing the last few hours of her son's life, Lisa said: "We are so proud to see him being such a gentleman to everyone, even helping an old lady who had fallen over.

"He was the life and soul of the party that night."

She also welcomed the guilty verdict.

She said: "We are grateful today we got justice for Ryan. Alice is in prison where she belongs.

"But no sentence is going to be long enough for what she has taken from us and Ryan, he’ll never get to live his life and fulfil his dreams."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...