Claire Holland’s ex-partner found guilty of her murder

A chef from Patchway has been found guilty of the murder of Claire Holland, who has not been seen since leaving a city centre pub more than a decade ago.

Claire, 32, from Lawrence Weston, was last seen alive when she left Seamus O’Donnell’s on St Nicholas Street on the evening of Wednesday, June 6 2012.

Following an 11-week trial, Darren Osment, 41, has been found guilty of murdering his former partner after a jury heard he made multiple confessions including to an undercover police officer.

Osment phoned 999 to make a confession to murder but he went on to deny any involvement in Claire’s death, with an undercover officer deployed to befriend him in 2020 in an operation which lasted 20 months.

Claire’s body has never been found, with her family now appealing to her killer to reveal where he hid her body.

Avon & Somerset police senior investigating officer, detective superintendent Darren Hannant, said: “The evidence we’ve gathered painstakingly over the last four years has proven that Osment is a selfish and violent misogynist who has abused almost everyone he has been close to.

“Our investigation found he’d made repeated confessions to others about his involvement in Claire’s murder, but because of a lack of supporting evidence, a decision was made to obtain authorisation for the deployment of an undercover officer, with the express aim of uncovering the truth about Claire’s disappearance, and in the hope of finding her body.

“The evidence and recorded footage gathered by the officer exposed Osment’s disturbing and hateful character and most importantly, details about the murder that otherwise would have remained unknown.

“This operation required the careful coordination of many aspects of covert policing, alongside the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and frequent in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, to ensure that tactics were applied to fairly obtain admissible evidence.

“Due to the real risks posed to the officer in the event of the operation being compromised, the investigation team were unaware of the deployment until July 2022, when a decision was made to re-arrest Osment, after which he was charged with Claire’s murder.

“The evidence gathered by the undercover officer, along with the witness evidence, phone data, and missing person investigation records, proved that Osment was responsible for this crime.

“We discovered he had lured Claire to the pub where he worked as a chef in Clifton on the evening of Wednesday 6 June, 2012.

“He killed her and then disposed of her body, we believe most likely in water. He got rid of the physical evidence, through burning his clothes and disposing of a knife he claimed to have used.

“It was a brutal and pre-meditated crime motivated by his intense hatred of Claire, who he blamed for having their child taken into care.

“The undercover officer put his safety at risk to expose Osment’s offending. He spent hours in his company and in doing so, was able to gather vital evidence to achieve justice for Claire and her family.

“The covert material showed Osment’s actions on the night, and how the reality of what he had done had affected him.

“He was both disgusted by, and felt justification for, his actions, and on one occasion was physically sick when he saw a televised police appeal for witnesses.

“I’m in no doubt, Darren Osment is a danger to women, and our communities are a safer place with him behind bars.”

Darren Osment will be sentenced on December 20 for the murder of Claire Holland – photo: Avon & Somerset police

Main photo: Avon & Somerset police

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