🚗 Man acquitted of 'road rage' murder charges

Bryan Roy Welcome (42) has been found not guilty of murdering his business associate, Omar Ryan (34), in a case that was described as 'road rage'. The incident occurred last summer when Welcome ran over Ryan in a warehouse parking lot after an altercation. Welcome admitted to driving over and killing Ryan but claimed it was in self-defense, believing that Ryan, who had been arguing with him over a debt, had a gun. The jury took less than four hours to return a unanimous not guilty verdict for both murder and manslaughter charges. 🚘

The prosecution's case was largely based on CCTV footage from the scene, which showed Welcome lining up his car to face Ryan before hitting him. The prosecution contended that Welcome's actions were deliberate and intended to harm or kill Ryan. However, Welcome argued that he was in a state of panic and did not realize he had run over Ryan until he stopped the car. He also admitted to kicking Ryan after the incident, stating he was angry. Despite this, there was no evidence that the kick contributed to Ryan's death. Following the verdict, Welcome, who had been in jail on remand since his charges last year, was told he was free to go. ⚖️

The trial, which originally started in May, faced several interruptions due to scheduling issues and even the death of one of the jurors. Despite these challenges, the remaining jurors confirmed their ability to continue with the trial. Justice Marlene Carter, who presided over the case, discharged the jury after the not guilty verdict was delivered. 🏛️