A man has admitted murdering an artist found dead two days after she went missing in Kent last year.
Claire Knights, 54, was reported missing on Wednesday August 23 2023 and was discovered dead by her family between St Nicholas at Wade and Minnis Bay, while they were carrying out searches for her on Friday August 25.
The mother from Upstreet, near Canterbury, was believed to have been walking her white and brown spaniel called Zebulon, to the Minnis Bay area of Birchington before the attack.
Claire Knights was described as an ‘amazing artist’ and a ‘trailblazer’ by her family (Kent Police/PA)
At a hearing at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday, Harrison Lawrence Van-Pooss pleaded guilty to Ms Knights’ murder.
The 21-year-old, of Margate, also pleaded guilty to using a mobile phone under a woman’s clothing without her consent for the purpose of sexual gratification in a separate incident the day before the murder on August 22.
The pleas comes ahead of a trial set for the case in March next year, after it was pushed back from June this year.
It also follows a number of medical reports and mental health assessments.
In the opening of Ms Knights’ inquest last year, coroner Catherine Wood said the initial given cause of death was blunt-force injury and drowning.
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.”
Art school The Margate School also paid tribute to Ms Knights, saying: “She was an outstanding and exceptional artist, whose work reflected her complex, loving nature.
“Her sculptural work had elements of humour and wit alongside the determination.”
The sentencing for Van-Pooss may take up to two days on dates to be set in the new year.