Claire Holland: Darren Osment jailed for ex-partner’s murder in Bristol after confessing to undercover police

A pub chef who was caught on camera by an undercover police officer confessing to murdering his ex-partner has been jailed.

Darren Osment has been sentenced to life with a minimum term of 20 years in prison for the murder of Claire Holland, 32, in Bristol in 2012.

Osment, 41, was found guilty earlier this month of killing the mother-of-four in a drunken argument.

Her body has never been found and Osment won’t tell police where it is.

In 2019, police launched a 20-month undercover investigation, in which Osment confessed numerous times to her killing.

Osment denied murder at his trial and claimed the confessions were the ramblings of a “drunken idiot”.

Sentencing him, Mrs Justice Cutts told Osment he was “quick to temper” and she was sure he had carried out the killing himself, despite his earlier versions of events.

She said: “You could and should have told police and Claire’s family what you did with her body. In your cowardice, you have never done so.”

“You have shown not a shred of remorse,” the judge added.

Mrs Justice Cutts said she found it likely Osment killed Ms Holland in a fit of temper but intended to do so.

Anger killer won’t say where body is

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Holland’s sister Sarah Holland said they had always believed she may one day come home.

“When we got told it was now a murder investigation it was like somebody put their fist down your mouth and grabbed your stomach and was trying to rip it,” she said.

“It was hard to digest because you believed she was somewhere getting on with her life.”

Asked how she felt about the fact Osment has never revealed where her body is, she said: “Angry. He just hasn’t got any compassion to allow us that opportunity to say goodbye to Claire.

“It’s his, kind of, last bit of control I think over Claire and over the situation. He’s not going to let us know, ever. He’s not a compassionate person, he’s got no sympathy.

“I don’t think he’s got the compassion to let the family know what he’s done with her or where she is to give us the respect to actually give her a funeral or a resting place. It’s very hard.”

‘He’s spiteful and spineless’

Ms Holland’s mother, Jackie Vaughan, said: “It’s making me feel sick just thinking about it.

“I always hoped one day she would walk through the door.

“He’s spiteful. Spineless. If he tells us… then I’ll take it back. But he doesn’t care and to him, if he tells us, he’s admitting it.”

Sarah Holland said today’s sentencing does not bring closure because they “still don’t know the truth”.

“We only know scenarios… it’s like Chinese whispers,” she said.

“We don’t actually know the truth, we don’t know where she is so there isn’t really any closure… we just have the satisfaction that he’s in prison for what he’s done.”

‘Empty space’ for family this Christmas

Osment killed Ms Holland and disposed of her body, most likely in water, before getting rid of evidence by burning his clothes and disposing of a knife he claimed to have used, police say.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Darren Hannant, from Avon and Somerset Police, said: “While we don’t expect Darren Osment to tell us where Claire’s body is, we can only hope the principles of Helen’s Law will prevail.

“This law ensures that criminals who do not disclose the location of the remains of their victim can have this used against them when it comes to applying for parole.

“For the sake of Claire’s family, there remains the hope this will provide them with the information they so desperately need.”

At Sarah Holland’s home, she hangs a crystal angel, in memory of Claire, on her Christmas tree.

“It’s hard because I know we’ve had quite a few Christmases without Claire – but in your heart, I always used to think she was enjoying Christmas somewhere else.

“This is the first Christmas now that I know she is actually gone from the family.

“We’ve got that empty space there this Christmas and she’s not going to be raising a glass somewhere and saying Merry Christmas.”