Undercover footage that lastly introduced mom’s killer to justice

This is the covert footage that lastly introduced the killer of mother-of-four Claire Holland to justice. 

An undercover police officer befriended pub chef Darren Osment and filmed a staggering 16 confessions from the assassin throughout a two-year sting operation.

Ms Holland had not been seen since leaving a pub in Bristol on the time of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. 

Osment referred to as 999 seven years later and appeared to admit to the killing – however a scarcity of proof meant the possibility of a conviction was low, and prompted Avon and Somerset Police to authorise an undercover investigation.

A plainclothes officer utilizing the title ‘Paddy O’Hara’ moved right into a flat barely 300 yards down the highway from Osment’s dwelling in 2020.

An undercover police officer befriended pub chef Darren Osment and filmed a staggering 16 confessions from the assassin throughout a two-year sting operation

Claire Holland disappeared after leaving the Seamus O’Donnell pub on St Nicholas St in Bristol in 2012

Osment (pictured) referred to as 999 seven years later and appeared to admit to the killing – however a scarcity of proof meant the possibility of a conviction was low, and prompted Avon and Somerset Police to authorise an undercover investigation

He struck up a pleasant relationship with the killer, posing as a petty legal promoting stolen or pretend garments, and provided him causal work shifting packages.

In their spare time they drank collectively in pubs, performed pool, drove round in O’Hara’s van and walked the canine alongside the river.

Police chiefs additionally devised legal situations to extend Osment’s belief and permit the pair to bond additional, together with O’Hara asking him to bury a gun and to behave as a lookout whereas he ‘carjacked’ a lorry at a motorway companies.

They met virtually day-after-day for hours at a time, to the purpose the place they appeared so shut that Osment vowed to make O’Hara his greatest man if he ever received married.

Across their 20 months of ‘friendship’, the officer noticed Osment flip into rage on various events.

This included kicking and stamping on his canine, assaulting pub stuff and threatening to hit somebody with a snooker ball, whereas he usually carried weapons and stored a hammer by his entrance door in case the police got here knocking.

Any time Ms Holland, his ex-partner, got here up in dialog, the killer would seem stuffed with hatred and refused to make use of her title, referring to her as an alternative as a ‘silly b***h’.

He blamed her for consuming whereas she was pregnant, being drunk whereas she sorted their child and for calling the police when he pushed her down the steps, which in the end led to the kid being taken into care. 

O’Hara needed to reply sympathetically when he did so and preserve a conversational method in order that the data might at some point change into usable in courtroom. 

On one event, the jury heard Osment confessed to O’Hara he had ‘performed horrible f*****g s***’ and couldn’t flip the clock again as ‘what is completed is completed’.

He additionally made reference to Ms Holland having a ‘good f*****g swimming lesson’ whereas he spat on the bottom within the course of the ocean after which struggled to not vomit and talked about her physique being ‘midway to Spain’.

CCTV of Ms Holland’s final moments earlier than she disappeared with no hint in 2012 (left and proper)

Across their 20 months of ‘friendship’, the officer noticed Osment flip into rage on various events

They met virtually day-after-day for hours at a time, to the purpose the place they appeared so shut that Osment vowed to make O’Hara his greatest man if he ever received married

After an eight-week trial, a jury returned a majority responsible verdict of 10-2 following six full days of deliberations. Osment might be sentenced on Wednesday 

Videos of the encounters whereas driving and sat at dwelling have been launched by officers after being performed to the jury.

In one clip, he imitates a ‘slashing’ throughout his physique whereas making a swishing sound and described the ‘knife talent’ he realized as a skilled chef.

And responding to questions on whether or not her physique would float, he responds: ‘It’s all f*****g weighed, it is all down, it isn’t going to return floating again up.’

After declaring his belief in O’Hara, Osment responds: ‘I do not f*****g solid my thoughts again to what I needed to f*****g, are you aware what I imply. It’s not f*****g nice bro. It was f*****g horrible.’

On one other event, he described it as ‘all performed and dusted’ saying the garments have been burnt outdoors and that ‘every part’s gone’.  

He later informed him: ‘It makes me really feel sick. But I did it for [my child].’ 

It was this confession that in the end led to Osment’s arrest and he was charged with homicide the next day, at which level the undercover officer withdrew and Ms Holland’s household have been informed concerning the operation.

After an eight-week trial, a jury returned a majority responsible verdict of 10-2 following six full days of deliberations. Osment might be sentenced on Wednesday.

Despite various high-profile appeals and campaigns through the years, no hint of Ms Holland has ever been discovered.