Man to face trial accused of murdering missing woman

Darren Osment appeared before Bristol Crown Court accused of killing 32-year-old Claire Holland, who vanished in June 2012.

(PA) (PA Archive)

A man will face trial next year accused of the murder of a woman who disappeared a decade ago.

Darren Osment appeared before Bristol Crown Court accused of murdering 32-year-old Claire Holland.

The shaven-headed 40-year-old faces a three-week trial before a High Court judge beginning on March 13 2023.

Judge Peter Blair QC, The Recorder of Bristol, said a pre-trial preparation hearing would take place on November 14.

Osment, of Chessel Drive, Patchway, South Gloucestershire, did not enter a plea to the single charge he faces.

Mark Linehan, representing the defendant, did not make an application for bail and Osment was remanded into custody until his next court appearance.

The judge told Osment: “We are going to have another court hearing on November 14 to deal with further case management directions making sure you have the material from the prosecution that you need, and your lawyers need in order to represent your case and respond.

“In the meantime I am going to remand you into custody and there is no bail application being made today.”

On Thursday, Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard he is accused of murdering Ms Holland on a date between June 5 and June 8 2012.

Ms Holland, from the Lawrence Weston area of Bristol, was last seen leaving city-centre pub Seamus O’Donnell’s at 11.15pm on June 6 2012, the day after the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend.

She was reported missing a few days later, and has not been seen or heard from since despite several mass searches and appeals for information.