Damien Bendall Wiki – Damien Bendall Biography

Damien Bendall killed his four victims with a claw hammer in a Derbyshire home in 2021. He pleaded guilty to murdering Terri Harris, 35, her son John Bennett, 13, her daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11.

He also pleaded guilty to raping Lacey.

Bendall, 32, admitted to the charges at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday, where he was sentenced by Judge Sweeney.

He was given a life order, which means that he will never be released from prison, except in exceptional compassionate circumstances.

Judge Sweeney told him: “As the prosecution has stated, you carried out vicious, brutal and cruel attacks on a defenseless woman and three young children, during which time you walked through the house attacking them.”

Ms Harris and the children were found dead in a house in Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh, on September 19, having been killed on the night of September 18.

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“The defendant attacked them with a claw hammer which he used to hit them on the head and upper body,” attorney for the prosecution Louis Mably KC told the court.

“It was perfectly clear that none of the victims stood a chance.”

Mably told the court that Bendall and Harris had been in a relationship, having met on a dating app after he ended his relationship with the father of his children.

Police arrived at the house on the morning of September 19, alerted by Bendall’s mother, who told them that she had stabbed herself.

In police body camera footage played in court, he could be seen speaking to officers outside the home, calmly telling them, “I’ve murdered four people” and “I’m going back to prison.”

Police didn’t initially believe him, Mably said, but an officer found all four bodies when he entered.

He found John first, lying naked on the bathroom floor, as he was supposed to take a shower before Bendall attacked him.

He then found Mrs. Harris and her daughter in the master bedroom. Terri was on the floor but Lacey was on the bed.

Damien Bendall, Pleaded guilty to murdering Terri Harris,son and daughter

Forensic evidence indicates that Bendall attacked and raped Lacey downstairs before taking her upstairs, where he raped her again.

He also used some type of ligature around her neck, and this contributed to her death along with her head injuries.

Connie, who was stopping with Lacey for a sleepover that night, was found dead in another room.

Bendall, who the court heard was under the influence of cocaine and cannabis, left the house after the murders and took John’s game console to sell for drugs.

He was arrested and taken to the hospital, but his self-inflicted injuries only required stitches.

He was later interviewed by the police and told them: “I used a hammer. I didn’t realize what I did until I went into my room and saw my wife and my daughter.”

He knew Mrs. Harris was pregnant when he killed her, because he also told police, “I bet you don’t usually get four murders in Killamarsh, do you? Well, I mean five because my lady was pregnant.”

The prosecution read in court personal statements from relatives of the victims.

Angela Smith, Ms Harris’s mother, said: “Terri, Lacey and John meant the world to me and were the most valuable people in my life. Not being able to give them a kiss and a hug and tell them I love them breaks my heart. heart”. .”

She remembered her grandchildren telling her that they were afraid of monsters when they were younger.

“I told you there are no monsters, but how wrong I was,” she said.

Jason Bennett, the father of John and Lacey, said their murders had “destroyed and taken my life.”

“I am living in a continual nightmare,” his statement said. “I have a story in my head of how they died, I live through their trauma and feel their pain, it feels like a recurring punishment.”

He recalled how Lacey and Connie had been selling candy for charity the day she died, describing her daughter as “kind and loving.”

“John wouldn’t hurt a fly, literally. If he saw a bug, he would carefully put it outside,” he said.

Charles Gent, Connie’s father, said the murder of his daughter had “completely destroyed my life.”

“The man who carried out the crimes can only be described as truly evil and should never be free from imprisonment, just as the families of the victims in this case will never be free from their life sentences as a result of the heinous and heinous crimes. “. he committed against a defenseless woman and children,” he said

During the sentencing hearing, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) made representations that the whole life fee was necessary.

This was agreed to by Bendall’s defense attorney and Bendall himself.

Defense attorney Vanessa Marshall KC said: “Your instructions from her are clear that nothing more than an entire life order is justified for taking, as you did, these four young lives, and in such dire circumstances.”

Bendall previously pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter but denied murder and rape, meaning he needed to be tried for these crimes before changing his pleas.

“Bendall’s defense theorized that his trial was psychologically impaired,” said Andrew Baxter, deputy chief prosecutor.

“Throughout the process, CPS directed its own medical experts to assess whether the arguments had merit, which they did not.

“When all medical angles were exhausted, the evidence that he had murdered all four victims without affecting his actions was overwhelming, and Bendall admitted to all charges.”Read More…..