This is the moment a man accused of murdering his ex-partner appears to ‘confess’ to killing her during a 999 call in court.
Darren Osment is currently on trial for the murder of mother-of-four Claire Holland, who has been ‘missing’ for more than a decade with no trace of her since leaving a pub in Bristol.
Prosecutors told the jury that Osment, the father of one of her children, killed Claire and made multiple confessions that he did so because their child was in care. She was 32 at the time and had said she planned to meet Osment on the night of June 6, 2012 after a drinking session at the Seamus O’Donnell pub.
Despite a number of high-profile appeals and campaigns over the years, no trace of her has ever been found.
Jurors heard that Osment, 41, had “confessed” on a number of occasions over the years to “relieve” himself as he struggled with his “heinous” actions.
The suspect, who denies the murder, told police that all confessions were due to being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Claire Holland who has been ‘missing’ for over a decade with no trace of her since leaving a pub in Bristol at around 11.15pm on June 6, 2012
Bodycam footage of Darren Osment being arrested by police for the murder of Claire Holland
Body-worn footage of his arrest, which has now also been released by police after being shown to the jury
These CCTV images show the mother of four’s last moments before she disappeared without a trace more than ten years ago
In one apparent confession he said he strangled her because ‘no c***, no stupid b**** is going to keep me from my boy.’
Bristol Crown Court today received a 999 call to police that Osment made in July 2019, where he told handlers he wanted to ‘hand himself in’ for murder at Exeter police station.
He tells them, “I’ve had enough now. I just want the monkey off my back.”
In the phone call, released by Avon and Somerset Police after it was played to the jury, he tells them he ‘more or less’ killed his ex, adding: ‘I know what happened.’
“I just want to get this off my back,” he said. ‘I feel so damn bad. I’ve had it on my mind for years and now.’
He added: “I actually arranged it, didn’t I.”
He then tells the counselor, “I took the law into my own hands and you know she took my son from me, so I took it from her.”
When asked what he took from her, Osment added, “Well, her fucking life, actually. I’m not proud of it, my kid still asks for Mother’s Day and stuff like that. Like when I was younger, right. I was young and angry.’
In body-worn footage of his arrest, which has now also been released by police after being shown to the jury, he is heard saying: ‘I didn’t do it. But I had arranged it.’
In the footage you hear him say: ‘I didn’t do it. But I had arranged it’
He told police as he voluntarily had his hands cuffed: ‘I had enough up to my eyes’
Claire was 32 at the time and had said she planned to meet Osment on the night of June 6, 2012 after a drinking session at the Seamus O’Donnell pub – CCTV of her last movements
As he voluntarily had his hands cuffed, he told police, “I was fed up to my eyes. I had had enough of the diving and diving, looking over my shoulder and all the rest.
‘I’m done with it. I just want to get it, what’s done is done. I can’t turn back the clock. I want to handle it. I had her killed…I gave some money to someone and they had it done.”
He later claimed in a police interview that he could not remember calling or speaking to them upon arrival because he was ‘too drunk’.
Osment was released under investigation, but police later launched an undercover operation involving an officer named ‘Paddy O’Hara’ to befriend him and build trust.
It lasted 20 months and produced 1200 hours of recorded footage.
On one occasion the jury heard Osment confess to ‘Paddy’ that he had ‘done bloody terrible things’ and could not turn back the clock because ‘what’s done is done’.
Prosecutor Andrew Langdon KC said he also referred to Claire having a ‘fun swimming lesson’, spitting on the ground towards the sea and then struggling not to vomit, saying her body was ‘halfway there’. Spain’.
In a police statement, the suspect states that any confessions are the result of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs
Family have described Claire as ‘always smiling’, bubbly and friendly – CCTV of her final moments
The prosecutor told the jury: ‘Her disappearance that night is not a dark coincidence. As he subsequently confessed on a number of occasions, he met her and killed her, and, alone or with the help of others, he undoubtedly had to pay given the risk they took, losing her body.’
While on remand awaiting trial, the court heard he made another apparent confession, this time against a fellow inmate.
In a police statement, the suspect states that any confessions are the result of being under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
He told police: ‘I am an alcoholic and I repeat that any comments I have made contrary to my innocence in this matter are completely untrue and would only have been made under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
‘Understandably, despite being completely innocent, I have been under a lot of pressure as a result of this investigation. It has caused my mental health to deteriorate significantly and I have been extremely isolated.
‘I really hope the police can find answers to Claire’s disappearance. I had no involvement whatsoever.’
Family have described Claire as ‘always smiling’, bubbly and friendly.
They said there was “so much happening in her life that she was looking forward to.”
Osment denies murder.
The process continues.