Claire Holland: Man appears in court accused of cold case murder

Claire Holland disappeared a decade ago

A man will face trial accused of murdering a woman who disappeared a decade ago.

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

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

Mr Osment, of Chessel Drive, Patchway, South Gloucestershire, did not enter a plea for the murder charge and no application for bail was made.

He has been remanded into custody and Judge Peter Blair QC, The Recorder of Bristol, said a pre-trial preparation hearing would take place on 14 November.

The judge told Mr Osment: "We are going to have another court hearing on 14 November 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 was accused of murdering Ms Holland on a date between 5 to 8 June, 2012.

Ms Holland, from the Lawrence Weston area of Bristol, was seen leaving city centre pub Seamus O'Donnell's at 23:15 BST on 6 June 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.