Welcome was ‘a bit angry’ when he kicked dying man

(CNS): Bryan Roy Welcome (42) admitted there was “a little bit of anger” when he kicked Omar Ryan (34), a former grocery business associate, as he lay dying in a parking lot after Welcome ran him down, which he claimed was self-defence. Welcome has been charged with the murder of Ryan, who died from injuries he sustained after Welcome had driven over him during a row over money.

Welcome has admitted that he was the man driving the car that ran over Ryan. But he has claimed it was self-defence because he believed Ryan had a gun when the men encountered each other on the evening of 8 July last year and engaged in an argument. The row started at a restaurant in downtown George Town and then continued at a warehouse lot in the industrial area, where things escalated into a fatal incident.

Taking the stand last week in his own defence, Welcome told the jury that he had been in a fearful panic when he hit Ryan, who he thought had a firearm. Welcome said he didn’t realise that he had run over him until he stopped the car and got out, even though CCTV footage shows how he had not only knocked Ryan down but had dragged him along under the car and then ran over his body with his right rear wheel before he stopped the vehicle.

Welcome claimed that he had simply accelerated to get away from Ryan as he had his young son in the car with him and feared for their lives. But he accepted that he was harbouring some anger when he stopped the car, got out and headed towards Ryan. He said that was why he had continued yelling at Ryan, who by then was lying on the ground, calling out in pain and was already suffering from the serious internal injuries that would take his life later that night.

Welcome said he believed Ryan had a gun, which he had pointed at him. But the court heard how Welcome had failed to warn his wife that Ryan might be armed when she had approached him as he lay on the ground after she had seen her husband run him down.

CCTV shows how, after she had called out to her husband in warning, she had gone towards Ryan to help him. But as she approached, Welcome said nothing about Ryan having a gun. Instead, he issued a threat towards him and kicked him, not realising how badly hurt he was, and then called 911.

Under cross-examination by crown counsel Scott Wainwright, Welcome denied that he had intentionally turned his car towards Ryan and then deliberately drove at and over him. Welcome claimed repeatedly that he had “mixed emotions” and had not driven towards Ryan in anger or with any intention to hurt him.

CCTV footage showed Welcome lining up the vehicle towards where Ryan was standing moments before he accelerated towards him and then sped around the parking lot, dragging Ryan as he went. However, he insisted he was not angry at that point but had mixed emotions of panic, fear and confusion.

He said that the anger came when he got out of the car as “someone had just tried to kill me and my child.”

Ryan was not armed on the night, and it remains unclear when it was that Welcome believed he saw a weapon, though he has admitted that he was not sure Ryan had a gun but believed he might have had one. At no time during the course of the evening had Welcome called 911 to report that Ryan had a firearm.

Welcome finally made the 911 call when he became aware that Ryan was badly hurt. He told the operator that he had knocked Ryan down because he had posed a threat to him and his child, but he made no mention of a weapon.

The case has been adjourned for a brief period and is expected to continue with closing arguments from the attorneys early next month.