Claire Holland's daughter 'waited for mum' who had been murdered

Claire Holland's daughter, Rosie, said not being able to say the word "mum" was heart breaking

Mother-of-four Claire Holland had been estranged from most of her family for several years when she was murdered by her ex-partner in 2012. A heavy-drinker in the years before her death, Ms Holland's children had been taken away from her. But in taking Claire's life, Darren Osment also took away the chance of them ever being reunited.

Rosie Hall spent her entire childhood hoping and waiting for the safe return of her mum.

Claire Holland went missing without a trace on 6 June 2012 after leaving the Seamus O'Donnell's pub in Bristol's City Centre.

No body was ever found and Ms Holland, who had problems with alcohol, was declared a missing person.

Before she disappeared she had been due to be reunited with her nine-year-old daughter - from whom she had been estranged since she was four - and her younger brother.

They had spent years apart and a planned contact session had Ms Hall feeling "really excited" about their reunion.

"I was like OK, I just can't wait to see her," she said.

"We got there, but she never turned up. That was at the time that she was reported as missing."

Claire Holland was trying to turn her life around before she disappeared, her mum said

It was not for another seven years that police started to suspect there was something more sinister to Ms Holland's disappearance.

On Monday, a jury found her ex-partner, Darren Osment, guilty of her murder. He will be sentenced later in the month.

More than a decade earlier, Ms Holland had moved into her own flat, decorating it in hope of getting her children back.

Ms Hall was living with her father after Ms Holland "fell into the wrong crowd".

For the years that followed, up until Osment's arrest for her mother's murder, Ms Hall said she had looked for her mum in the faces of strangers on the street and had blamed herself for her mum's disappearance.

"It made me think, if I was there, if I never got taken when I was four, she could still be here and I could be ringing her up," she said.

Rosie Hall said that "every goal" she scored "was always for her"

Taking part in competitive running and playing football for Bristol Rovers, Ms Hall said she thought her mum may "randomly turn up" to some of her games.

"Every goal that I scored or every running race that I won, [it] was always for her.

"I knew one day, if she came back, I could be like 'I've done all this for you. I hope you're proud of me'."

Remembering her mother, Ms Hall said she looks back at their early times together fondly, especially their walks to school singing 'Ring a ring o' roses'.

"It was kind of like our morning routine," she said.

Ms Hall said "not being able to say the word 'mum' is heart-breaking" and that Osment was a "selfish man" for taking her away.

"All my siblings, we've not been able to grow up in a household where your mum is there," she said.

"Nobody can have her now and that's because of him. She was doing so much to get us back and he's just taken that."

Claire Holland's family say Darren Osment snatched away their chance of being reunited with her

Ms Holland's 61-year-old mother, Jackie Vaughan, who had only recently got back in contact with her daughter when she went missing, said: "She was no angel but she had so much to go for.

"She didn't have contact with us because she felt ashamed. I just said to her 'you're not the first and you won't be the last'."

Ms Vaughan said her daughter "loved her kids" and "was going to do so much".

"She was turning it [her life] around big time," she added.

Ms Vaughan said life since her daughter's disappearance had been "hard", especially with Ms Holland's now teenage son asking questions.

"I've had to tell him the truth. He couldn't remember Claire because he was six months old when Claire went missing," she said.

"Claire's a nanny now as well but she never got to meet them."

Claire Holland met Darren Osment in 2008 when they worked at a cafe

Sarah Holland, 41, said she last saw her older sister the day before she went missing when they watched TV, drank tea and "just had a laugh" together.

"She did want to come and see me the day she went missing, but unfortunately I was going to a pre-booked event so I had to say no to her," she said.

"That's the guilt I carry around with myself, because I always think what if she did come then she wouldn't have gone into town and she might still be here now.

"It's something I deal with daily and have dealt with for the past 11 years."

Claire Holland (right) with her dad and sisters as children

Ms Holland was also estranged from her father, Dave, who she had "hardly seen" between 2006 and 2012.

But they had arranged to meet up in April that year - two months before she would disappear.

She failed to turn up and while Mr Holland tried to contact her, he then went away. By the time he was back she would never be able to see him again.

The 68-year-old said: "When I came back I tried to contact her but I know now she was gone.

"What Darren has done… he has taken the opportunity away from me from getting back in touch with my daughter. It's very hard."