Man who killed dog walker has sentence increased

Harrison Lawrence Van-Pooss 'feigned' symptoms of psychosis following his arrest, the Court of Appeal was told on Friday

A man who sexually assaulted and killed a dog walker after ambushing her near a Kent beach will spend nearly six more years in prison after Court of Appeal judges increased his sentence.

Harrison Lawrence Van-Pooss, 21, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 25-and-a-half years in February for killing Claire Knights, 54, in August 2023.

He ambushed Ms Knights as she walked near Minnis Bay, sexually assaulted and then murdered her before hiding her body in a dyke.

On Friday, the Court of Appeal increased Van-Pooss' minimum sentence to 31 years after it was referred by the Solicitor General for being unduly lenient.

Van-Pooss was confronted about upskirting a woman at his work the day before the attack, but went on the run before he could be arrested.

It is believed he camped out by the beach overnight before murdering Ms Knights, from Upstreet, near Canterbury, the following afternoon.

Her body was found hidden in reeds between St Nicholas-At-Wade and Minnis Bay in August 2023, following a two-day search.

Claire Knights and her killer were not known to each other

Her neck and thighs were bruised, which the prosecution previously said meant she had been sexually assaulted while still alive.

At trial, Van-Pooss admitted murdering Ms Knights.

Jonathan Polnay KC, for the Solicitor General, said the judge at Canterbury Crown Court did not give enough weight to how Ms Knights had been targeted as a lone woman, the extreme nature of the violence and that her body had been hidden for two days before it was discovered.

He also said the judge gave too much credit for Van-Pooss's guilty plea and his sentence therefore "required an uplift of substance".

Stephen Moses KC, for Van-Pooss, said at the appeal hearing that the targeting was "a matter of moments rather than pre-meditated".

Mr Justice Calver, Lord Justice Edis and Judge Angela Morris increased Van-Pooss's minimum term to one of 31 years.

Lord Justice Edis said the killing of a lone woman created "widespread concern in the local community".

Solicitor General Lucy Rigby added: "Lawrence Van-Pooss's attack on Claire Knights was horrific. He assaulted and brutally murdered her, in a totally random attack.

"I welcome the court's decision to increase Van-Pooss's sentence and I would like to express my deepest sympathies to Claire's family and loved ones."