Pub chef who murdered dog walker in random attack jailed
A pub chef who sexually assaulted and killed a dog walker near a beach in Kent has been jailed.
Harrison Lawrence Van-Pooss, 21, had previously admitted murdering Claire Knights, 54, from Upstreet, near Canterbury.
The artist’s body was found between St Nicholas-At-Wade and Minnis Bay in August 2023, after a two-day search.
Van-Pooss was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 25-and-a-half years at Canterbury Court today.
Ms Knights is thought to have been walking her white and brown spaniel Zebulon back from the beach to the car when she was ambushed by Van Pooss.
He sexually assaulted the mother, murdered her and threw her body into a dyke, the court heard.
He then took her dog to a nearby shop and bought it treats. The dog was still with him when he was arrested.
Ms Knight’s son found his mother’s body face down in the dyke, the court was told.
Prosecuting barrister Alison Morgan KC described Van-Pooss as a ‘vast and powerful man’ who left Ms Knights with multiple fractures after beating her, the BBC reports.
A coroner at an inquest into her death in September said that it’s thought she died from a blunt force injury and drowning.
Van-Pooss had been caught upskirting a woman at a bar less than 24 hours before the murder.
He then camped out in a den overnight, armed with a chef’s night, before attacking Ms Knights.
Alongside his murder plea, Van-Pooss, of Margate, also pleaded guilty to an offence of upskirting, by using a mobile phone under a woman’s clothing without her consent for the purpose of sexual gratification.
He was sentenced to one month in prison for this offence, to run concurrently.
Following her death, a family statement released by Kent Police said: ‘Claire was a loving mum, partner, daughter and sister.
‘An amazing contemporary artist, a trailblazer in life.
‘She loved animals and in particular her springer spaniel, Zebulon.
‘We, the family, are struggling to come to terms with the fact she is no longer with us.
‘We wish to thank friends and the community for their active support and kind words.’
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