Darren Osment jailed for Claire Holland’s murder and urged to finally reveal where he dumped body

A pub chef who murdered his ex-partner must finally reveal what he did with the body and end her family’s agony, a judge has said.

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

He was caught on camera confessing to an undercover officer who befriended him.

The 41-year-old was convicted earlier this month of killing the mum-of-four in a drunken argument – it’s believed he strangled her.

Ms Holland’s body has never been found and Osment has refused to tell police where it is – with her family calling him “spiteful” and “spineless”.

Sentencing him today, Mrs Justice Cutts 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.

She said the evidence suggested he cut up the body and dumped it in water.

The judge pleaded: “For Claire’s family’s sake and for the sake of your child, I urge you for once to stand up to what you have done in the very near future and to disclose what you did and where her body might be found so that she may be laid to rest.”

Osment was brought to justice after police began an undercover investigation in 2019, during which he confessed numerous times to her killing.

At his trial, he denied murder and claimed the confessions were the ramblings of a “drunken idiot”.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Holland’s sister Sarah Holland said they had always believed she might 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 about Osment’s refusal to say what he did with her body, 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.”

‘No closure’

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 the sentence 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’ this Christmas

“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,” said Detective Superintendent Darren Hannant.

“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.”