Man jailed for life for Claire Holland murder to appeal against sentence

A man who was jailed for life for the murder of Claire Holland has asked for permission to appeal his sentence. Darren Osment was found guilty of the murder of Claire Holland, 11 years after she was last seen at a Bristol city centre pub on June 6, 2012.

Avon and Somerset Police believed Osment had killed his ex-partner over a dispute over their child and refused to tell officers where her body was. He was jailed for life at Bristol Crown Court in December 2023.

A spokesperson for the Judicial Office confirmed to Bristol Live that Osment had requested permission to appeal against his sentence. Any decision on granting the appeal would be taken by a senior judge.

READ MORE - 'Coward' who murdered Claire Holland is jailed for life

READ MORE - The disappearance of Claire Holland: How police snared a killer after 11 painful years

Bristol Live understands an appeal was made soon after his conviction and a hearing date will be set at some point. Darren Osment, aged 41 and of Chessel Drive, Patchway, was sentenced to life in prison, with a 20-year minimum term.

As he left the court in December, Osment held up a paper note which read "innocent" against the dock window panel. His actions sparked dismay in the public gallery.

Osment had been caught by police officers after an extensive missing persons search and later a murder probe. Osment was snared by an undercover police officer after he called 999 in July 2019 to confess to her murder.

A police officer went undercover as 'Paddy O'Hara' and re-located into a flat nearby to Osment's home in 2020. After befriending him, he observed Osment had 'confessed' on a number of occasions during the years to 'unburden' himself as he struggled to live with his 'horrific' actions.

Some of his disclosures were made to undercover police officer 'Paddy O'Hara' who took to the witness stand during the recent trial to detail their encounters. Osment confessed to 'Paddy' he had ‘done horrible f****** s***’ and could not turn the clock back as ‘what is done is done’.

During the trial his defence barrister said Osment was “somewhat of a fantasist” playing around the facts of the case. He added he had concerns for his children and parents if he is jailed.

At the time of her disappearance, 32-year-old Claire had reconnected with her father via text message and her family was looking forward to her spending time with them. Claire had sought treatment for her alcoholism and was taking steps to rebuild her life with a new flat.

Prosecutor Andrew Langdon ran through a number of aggravating features in the case. He observed the incident likely to have involved a loss of temper, Claire's vulnerability, and with a background of domestic violence towards her, which included Osment throwing her down the stairs following the birth of their child.

He noted Claire's body has never been recovered, and the impact this has had on the family in the long passage of time that has passed since. It was also observed that her family and friends may never find her body and only Osment knew what happened.

Claire Holland's family urge Darren Osment to reveal where her remains are

Claire Holland's family have repeatedly requested that Osment reveal where her remains are so they can put her to rest. Claire's half-sister Michaela Holland told the court the family had finally achieved justice for her. “Darren, I want you to know that you have destroyed our family,” she told Osment.

“We have so many questions. What were her last words, did she see it coming? If you have got it in your heart, please tell us where she is. We just want to lay her to rest.”

Claire's sister Sarah Holland spoke of the family events Claire had been denied the right to experience, including the birth of her grandchildren. Sarah added: "We have been sickened to hear how Claire's life was cruelly taken from us. Her death was totally senseless and completely unjustified.

"We have listened to weeks of painful evidence. Claire's character was openly attacked, yet she was not there to defend herself. We had to sit silently while hearing how [Osment] had used vile and obscene language to describe her.

"Despite this, we still do not know the full details of what happened to Claire. Her body has never been found - the person who took her life has continued to cause us agony. We continue to suffer because of this failure to tell us about Claire's final moments, and where she went.

"We have been denied this basic justice. Her death is indefensible, we have been haunted by not being able to see her one final time. She deserves to be given a place to rest where we can honour and respect her memory."