Dog walker faced knife terror before being killed

A man used a knife to "terrify and control" a dog walker near a Kent beach before killing her, a court has heard.

Claire Knights, 54, from Upstreet near Canterbury, was found dead between St Nicholas-At-Wade and Minnis Bay in August 2023 after being sexually assaulted.

Harrison Lawrence Van-Pooss, 21, admitted murdering her at Canterbury Crown Court in December.

At the first day of sentencing on Thursday, the prosecution told the same court Van-Pooss had wanted to target a lone female when he attacked Ms Knights and forced her away from a path.

Prosecuting barrister Alison Morgan KC said Van-Pooss was a "vast and powerful man" who beat Ms Knights, leaving her with multiple fractures.

The court heard there had been no injuries inflicted that could have been caused by the knife.

It also heard how Ms Knights' son had found his mother's body "face down in the dyke".

There were areas of bruising to her neck and thighs, which the prosecution said meant Ms Knights had been sexually assaulted while still alive.

At an inquest in September, a coroner said Ms Knights was believed to have died from a blunt force injury and drowning, and that the death had been "violent or unnatural".

The precise sequence of events leading up to Ms Knights' death was known only to her killer, the prosecution said.

However, Ms Morgan said Van-Pooss told experts he had "no recollection of parts of the day".

"He has himself said he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of these events," she said.

The moment Van-Pooss was arrested on the separate charge of voyeurism was shown to the court. He was with Ms Knights' dog at the time of his arrest.

Ms Knights and Van-Pooss were not known to each other before he killed her.

Elliot Knights-Sloane, Ms Knights' son, told Van-Pooss in court that his mother "was always there for me."

He added: "There is no single person who has inspired me more and I want to be more like."

Ms Knights' partner, Stuart Hulme, said: "This senseless act has deprived us all. The hurt you have caused is immeasurable."

Andrea Watson, Ms Knights' sister, said: "It haunts me to think her last moments were filled with so much pain."

She told Van-Pooss: "You saw her as an object."

Sentencing continues on Friday.

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