Man pleads guilty to ambushing and murdering woman walking to her car from Kent beach

A man has admitted murdering a woman after ambushing her while she walked back to her car from a Kent beach.

Harrison Lawrence-Van Pooss attacked Claire Knights, 54, on 23 August 2023, who had spent the afternoon at Minnis Bay with her dog. She did not know the attacker.

Lawrence Van-Pooss had concealed her body, meaning Claire was not discovered for two days. A post-mortem concluded that her death was caused by blunt force trauma.

An insight into his mindset was given by the prosecutor that, after he murdered Claire, he took her dog to a nearby shop to buy treats for it. The dog was with him when he was later arrested by police.

Lawrence-Van Pooss also admitted one charge of upskirting of a different woman, which took place the day before Claire’s murder. After he was confronted and police were called, he went on the run.

Natalie Smith from the CPS said: “We hope that today’s guilty plea brings some small comfort to Claire’s family and friends, knowing that the man who murdered her has finally acknowledged and taken responsibility for his horrendous actions on that fateful day.

“Now that the defence team have had the opportunity to fully consider whether Harrison Lawrence-Van Pooss had any mental health defence to the charge of murder, they have agreed with the prosecution expert witness that he does not have any defence available to him.

“This has finally, after all these months of uncertainty, led to today’s guilty plea to the murder of Claire Knights.

“Sadly Claire’s murder is a tragic reminder of the violence against women and girls which exists in our society today. At the CPS, our role is to bring the perpetrators of that violence to justice and today that has been delivered.

“Our thoughts remain very much with everyone who knew Claire at this exceptionally difficult time.”