Man admits killing dog walker Claire Knights

A man has admitted ambushing and murdering a woman while she walked her dog on a Kent beach.

Claire Knights, 54, of Upstreet, near Canterbury, was found dead between St Nicholas-at-Wade and Minis Bay on August 25, 2023, after a two-day search.

Harrison Lawrence Van-Poos, 21, of Margate, pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court to her murder and a separate charge of voyeurism.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Superintendent Kathleen Way said: “Nobody could have imagined such a horrific, appalling crime.”

At an inquest in September, a coroner said it was believed Ms Knights had died blunt force injury and drowningand that the death was “violent or unnatural”.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Van-Poos hid his body after the attack.

After murdering Ms Knights, he took her spaniel Zebulon to a nearby shop to buy gifts.

Even when the police arrested him, the dog was still with him.

Ms Knights’ family members cried in court at the conviction.

Det Superintendent Kathleen Way told BBC South East: “This was a horrific crime and was very difficult to investigate and it was very difficult for the family to understand why Claire became the victim of this crime.

“Whether or not he would have attacked anyone else I can’t really say but sadly Claire was the victim of his disgusting crime on this occasion.”

Natalie Smith from the CPS said: “We hope that today’s guilty plea will bring some comfort to Claire’s family and friends, knowing that the man who murdered her has finally confessed and confessed to his horrific actions on that fateful day. Took responsibility for the work.

“Now that the defense team has had the opportunity to fully consider whether Harrison Lawrence-Van Poos had a mental health defense to the murder charge, they agreed with the prosecution expert witness that he had There is no rescue available.

“Finally, after so many months of uncertainty, the culprit was convicted today of the murder of Claire Knights.”

After Ms Knights’ death, her family described her as “a loving mother, partner, daughter and sister – a wonderful contemporary artist, a trailblazer in life”.

The Margate School, an art school, paid tribute to Ms Knights on its website.

The former student “often visited exhibitions and events at TMS with her partner”, a statement said.

It added: “She formed strong relationships with her fellow students and friends at school.”

Van-Poos’ sentencing could take up to two days until a date is set in the new year.