by SWNS
Man jailed for life for killing ex-partner who disappeared without trace after leaving pub more than a decade ago
The family of a woman who disappeared without a trace more than a decade ago have said they are desperate to know where her remains were dumped – after her killer was sentenced for her murder. Darren Osment, 41, was sentenced to life today (Wednesday) and told he will serve at least 20 years for killing his mother-of-four Claire Holland. She was last seen leaving a pub in Bristol at the time of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and, despite several appeals and high-profile campaigns over the years, no trace of her has ever been found. Bristol Crown Court heard he murdered Claire and confessed to it – including to an undercover police officer – because her child was taken into care. She was 32 at the time and said she planned to meet Osment on the night of June 6 2012 after a drinking session in Seamus O’Donnell’s pub. He was found guilty of murder after a trial and was described by a judge today (Wednesday) as a selfish and “snarky” killer who had prolonged the family’s pain for 11 years. Claire’s family told the court they have never been able to properly grieve because her killer never admitted what he did to her body. Sentencing him, the Honorable Judge Mrs Cutts told him: “You robbed her of the future she deserved. “You took her away from her children. You made that suffering much worse than you have behaved yourself since she died. “For 11 long years nobody knew except what happened to Claire. “The police could and should have told what happened. You should and could have been admitted to killing Claire. They were left with the agony of not knowing where she was or what happened. “You left the family in uncertainty. “But it was clear that you could not live with the burden you had made. “I assume you were harassed and to revive him you made confessions – to six in total. If you were truly remorseful you would have told the police and faced the consequences of your crime. “He thought. The judge said after a difficult early life at the time of her death that Claire was starting a “new chapter in her life” and that she was “rightfully proud of herself. A warm, vibrant person who was loved by the world.” “She was very hopeful that she would be able to live with her children in time. “She was happy and hopeful about the future. “She had a fresh start ahead of her – you robbed her of that fresh start – you robbed her of the future she deserved.” The judge added: “In your mother’s words, you were drunk and abusive and violent towards women. Claire was on the receiving end of that violence.” In her speech, the judge also rejected his claim for one of his admissions that he hired someone to kill her. “I’m sure you killed her yourself,” she said. “You were in you lived hand to mouth and did not have the means to pay someone else to do it – it was a way to separate yourself from the horror of what you have done. “You could and should have told Claire’s family what you had done to her body but he did not regret it.” The judge said she was convinced he was “responsible for dismembering and hiding her body” and said it was “more likely” that she was strangled and dumped in the water.”I encourage you to stand up for what is you have done – and identify where the body is to be found so that her body can be laid to rest.” At today’s hearing, a number of victim impact statements were also read out in court by Claire’s family. Her sister Sarah Holland said: “It never gets any easier – she is missed and loved very much. “It was nothing short of amazing. hard not to be able to cry completely. “It left a hole that will never be filled not being able to say goodbye to my sister. “She never got a final resting place – that was another thing that was stolen from her. “The pain and grief will never leave me – I continue to learn new ways to live with it. Another of Claire’s sisters Michaela Holland said after so many years: “Today we got justice for Claire.” She said Osment sent Her father was in “unimaginable pain” and that she read texts from Claire sent to him just before she left. One of them read: “I’m sorry for the mess I’ve made with my life. I’m fixing it.” She said: “Because of you, Claire has lost so much. “Because of you we are walking the streets with fear in our hearts. “You have made the world feel unsafe for the woman in our family. “You have destroyed our family – we have so many questions, what were her last words, did she see it coming. “We just want to lay her to rest.” In her statement, Claire’s mother, Jacqueline said Vaughan, in the last few months of her life it was “lovely to see her so happy”. “The future looked good,” she said. Claire’s daughter, Rosie Hall, told Osment: “You won’t realize that forever the pain you caused me. Your attitude showed no remorse, no respect for my family. I will never forgive you for what you have done and the damage you have done to me.” During the trial, the jury heard that Osment had ‘admitted’ on several occasions over the years to ‘unburden’ himself. ‘ as he struggled to survive. In one confession to police call handlers, he said he had strangled her because “no, there’s no stupid thing to keep me away from my boy.” Osment was released under investigation, but the police later launched an undercover operation, to befriend an officer named “Paddy O’Hara” and to build trust. He lived for 20 months and recorded 1200 hours of footage. .he admitted to ‘Paddy’ that he had ‘done an awful f****ing shit’ and that he couldn’t turn back the clock because ‘what is done is done’. He also referred to Claire having a ‘pretty fucking swimming lesson’ as he strolled on land towards the sea and then struggled not to vomit and stated her body was ‘halfway to Spain.’ Police released video of the encounters while driving and sitting at home after it was played to the jury. In one clip, he imitates ‘slashing’ across his body while making a swinging sound and described on the ‘knife skill’ he learned as her trained chef. And answering questions about whether her body would float, he replies: “It’s all f**king weighed, it’s all down, it’s not to come floating back up.” After confirming his confidence in ‘Paddy’ Osment replied: “I don’t want to king on my mind what I had to king, do you know what I mean . It’s not f**king bro pleasant. It was f**king horrible.” On another occasion, he described it as “all done and dusted.” “All the king’s work, clothes burned outside, f**king everything is gone, everything is gone,” he said. “As far as I know bits and pieces are scattered.” He later added: “It makes me feel sick. But I did it for (my child). Because she hurt my king child. And the way they were brought up is wrong. “Don’t f**k with my family. You harm (my child) or (my other child) friend, you will get it.” In an earlier 999 call Osment made in July 2019, he told handlers he wanted to “turn himself in” for murder at Exeter police station. He tells them: “I’ve had enough of it all now. I just want to get the monkey off my back.” He then tells the handler: “I took the law into my own hands and you know she took my son away from me so I took that from her.” When asked what he took from her, Osment added: “Well, her life is really… I’m not proud of her, my kid asks about Mother’s Days and things like that. As I was at the time I was younger that was not. ‘t I. “I was young and angry.” When he was arrested, on footage taken from the body of the police, he told the police while volunteering to have his hands cuffed: “There was a lot up to my eyeballs. I had a lot of ducking and diving, watching over my shoulder and all the rest of it. “I’ve had enough. I just want to get it, no matter what. I can’t turn back the clock. I want to deal with it. I killed her. I hired…I gave somebody some money and they did it.” He later claimed in an interview with the police that he did not remember calling them or talking to them when he arrived because he was “too drunk”. Bristol Crown Court heard the victim involved the defendant in 2008 when they were colleagues at the same cafe. She eventually became pregnant with her third child, and her first child, but the relationship turned sour ‘harsh’ and ‘abusive’ because she was drinking too much, the court heard. Their relationship was described as “drink-driven” but Osment reportedly blamed Claire when their child was taken into foster care. Heard the trial said Claire was a “troubled” individual but her family said she was putting her life back together and looking forward to a fresh start and “excited” about a brighter future when she left. Staff said and a regular at the pub where Claire was last seen that she left at one point that evening to buy ‘bra inserts’ from Primark on her way to meet Osment – and that she wanted to ‘dress to impress’ him . In a police statement, the defendant said that any confession was “completely false” due to being under the influence of alcohol and / or drugs. At the end of her remarks, the judge also paid tribute to the police operation to bring Osment to justice and for the dignity shown by Claire’s family during the trial. She added: “They have the sympathy of this court and I hope that in time they will be able to find a way together to move on with their lives.”
