An England-based pub chef suspected of killing his ex-partner has allegedly told an undercover detective that he murdered the missing woman, who is a mother of four, and also dismembered her body.
Darren Osment, 41, faces trial for the 2012 murder of Claire Holland after a drunken altercation. Holland was last seen leaving a bar in Bristol's downtown area hours before the incident. The 32-year-old mother who vanished has never been discovered.
The Confession
During the hearing in the Bristol Crown Court, it was revealed that a police officer had befriended Osment after he became a suspect, as reported by the Daily Mail. Osment made friends with the policeman, assuming the identity of "Paddy O'Hara," a person connected to organized crime.
In the trial, the court heard that Osment and O'Hara spent a great deal of time together between December 2020 and July 2022, engaging in mutual interests such as playing pool and snooker and going on long walks.
Conversations between the two were played for the jury, with Osment apparently starting to confide in O'Hara about what had occurred to Holland, considering alibis and possibly attempting to blame other individuals.
During one talk, Osment reportedly told O'Hara that, as a trained chef, he had knife skills. He ran his palm over his chest while making a swishing sound to imply he had dismembered Holland's corpse.
In the tape, BBC said that O'Hara asked Osment whether he dumped the corpse in the sea and why it had not risen to the surface yet. To which Osment reportedly replied that there had been a huge overflow at the time and hinted that it had been weighed down.
The court heard that the defendant then admitted to O'Hara that he had disposed of the weapon by hiding it in the knife box of a different chef that he was working with at the time.
"It's what it is, but it's all done, done and dusted .... clothes burnt outside, everything's gone, everything's gone. As far as I am aware, the bits and pieces are scattered," Osment allegedly told O'Hara.
"It makes me feel sick. But I did it for [my child]. Cause she harmed my child. And that was her fault. I gave her every opportunity to do things right. I gave her money," he added.
By this time, the court heard, Osment was aware that he was a suspect in Holland's murder since he had been apprehended by police in March but freed on bond until June. In June, he was told there would be no more action taken against him, and talks about getting released from bail were initiated.
Notably, Osment denied murder charges dating back to June 5 and up to June 8, 2012.
