Monster who killed pregnant mum, two young children and raped her dying daughter will die in jail

21 December 2022, 10:43 | Updated: 21 December 2022, 15:35

A man who pleaded guilty to murdering a pregnant mother and three children with a claw hammer at home in Derbyshire has been given whole life order.

Damien Bendall, 32, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murdering his girlfriend Terri Harris, who was carrying a child at the time, in Killamarsh.

He also admitted murdering her 11-year-old daughter, Lacey Bennett. He raped her as she lay dying, the court heard, as he hunted around the house for each victim.

Bendall, who has a history of violence, also killed Ms Harris's 13-year-old son John Paul Bennett and Lacey's friend Connie Gent, 11, who was staying for a sleepover.

He had previously denied murder but admitted manslaughter, and changed his pleas at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday.

Sentencing him to a whole life order, Mr Justice Sweeney said: "On your behalf Bendall, it is accepted that the seriousness of your offences is so exceptionally high the court must make a whole-life order. I agree.

"You are now aged 32 and have a significant background of violent offending, including robbery.

"As the prosecution have said, you carried out brutal, vicious and cruel attacks on a defenceless woman and three young children."

His victims' skulls were "literally smashed in", the judge said.

Prosecutor Louis Mably KC said: "The circumstances of the offences are truly hideous. These were brutal and cruel attacks on a woman and three children."

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The four victims were found at Chandos Crescent in Killamarsh in September 2021. The children were from a previous relationship Ms Harris, 35, had with Jason Bennett.

Mr Bennett's heartbreaking appeal was read out to the court.

"It's like my life has been shattered into a billion pieces, never to be repaired.

"I no longer have a future. Life is empty. All I have is sadness. The love I crave is from my beautiful kids.

"I can't have that. It's a hole that can never be filled. I would do anything just to speak to them and say goodnight to my beautifuls."

He went on: "The murder of my two children has destroyed and taken my life away.

"Looking forward to the future is painful and difficult. I won't see them grow up or be given the opportunity to be a grandad."

Mr Malby said: "It does appear each (victim) was attacked in a different room, (and) appears he went around the house looking for them, attacking them each in turn, in order to kill them.

"One of the dreadful facts about this case is that during the attacks, the defendant raped 11-year-old Lacey, and this included raping her as she lay dying from the head wounds he had inflicted with the hammer."

Bendall was arrested outside the house on the evening of September 19 2021 after his mother called 999 and told them he had claimed that he stabbed himself.

"I've murdered four people," he told police calmly.

Officers asked him: "Do you think you've killed your family inside their house?"

Bendall said: "No. I have (killed them).

"There's one in the bathroom, two upstairs and one in another bedroom."

The court was played audio of the police search. A male voice said: "They're gone, they're gone. They're all gone."

And at the police station, having been arrested, Bendall said: "The whole house is covered in claret. I used the hammer.

"I didn't realise what I did until I walked into my room and saw my missus and my daughter."

He added: "Bet you don't usually get four murders in Killamarsh do you - well, five (murders), because my missus was having a baby."

Bendall is due to be sentenced on Wednesday as prosecutors seek a whole life term.

"In view of all this, the prosecution's submission as to sentence is that the seriousness of the offending is so exceptionally high, it falls into the category of case that calls for the imposition of a whole life order, rather than a minimum term," Mr Malby said.