A child killer who murdered three children and his pregnant partnewas reportedly free to commit his monstrous attacks after ‘appalling’ blunders by the Probation Office.
In September 2021, Damien Bendall used a claw hammer to murder 35-year-old Terri Harris, her 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11, who was sleeping over that night. Bendall also admitted raping Lacey during the attack at the home he shared with Ms Harris in Killamarsh, Derbyshire.
Bendall, 32, was already in the probation system for arson, robbery, attempted robbery and grievous bodily harm convictions. He had been serving a 24-month suspended sentence for arson when he carried out the killings.
It has now emerged that the probation officer who assessed his record for his sentencing in the arson case has since been sacked. The probation officer was found guilty of gross misconduct after erroneously categorising Bendall as ‘medium risk’ rather than ‘high risk’, according to the Daily Telegraph.
He is understood to have spent a lot of time working from home so did not get the chance to have the usual opportunities for advice from colleagues.
In September 2021, Damien Bendall used a claw hammer to murder 35-year-old Terri Harris, her 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11
Probation officials believe it unlikely that Bendall would have been free to carry out his horrendous multiple murder rampage had the pre-sentence report accurately reflected his risk, reports say.
The killings were three months after he had received his suspended sentence for arson.
A second probation officer has also separately been found guilty of misconduct for later allocating Bendall’s case to a trainee.
A formal review will be held into how the case of Killamarsh criminal Damien Bendall was handled by probation officers before he murdered three children and his pregnant partner, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab asked the Chief Inspector of Probation to investigate Bendall’s court files after the ex-con was sentenced to a whole-life order for the murders on Wednesday.
Lacey Bennett, 11, (left), John, 13, (right), and their mother Terri Harris, 35, were murdered by Bendall in the sickening rampage
Connie Gent, 11, was murdered by Damien Bendall in Killamarsh last year
A spokesperson for the MoJ said: ‘These were appalling crimes and our thoughts remain with the victims’ families.
‘The Deputy Prime Minister asked the Chief Inspector of Probation to conduct a review of this case and we will respond further once this is published.’
Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland, who left the post just three days before the Killamarsh killings, described the miscategorisation of Bendall as a lower-risk offender as ‘an appalling failure’.
He said: ‘I think we have to acknowledge that such an error is just an appalling failure.
‘The ministry has to be as open and transparent as possible about why it happened, and most importantly to make sure the risk of that happening again is kept to a minimum, if not eliminated.
‘Frankly, there should be processes in place that means various thresholds and tests would be met before that sort of fundamental mistake could be made.’
The Chief Inspector of Probation’s review is likely to be released in the new year.
Bendall admitted bludgeoning to death his pregnant partner Terri Harris, 35, her 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett and son John Paul Bennett, 13
Bendall also admitted to killing Lacey’s 11-year-old friend Connie Gent who was on a sleepover at the family home near Sheffield
Sentencing Bendall, 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.’
The court had heard how Bendall went room-by-room and attacked each victim with a claw hammer, striking them in the head and upper body.
He then raped 11-year-old Lacey at least twice, positioning a mirror to watch himself doing so.
Her friend Connie had only been due to stay over for one night, but got permission from her mother to extend her stay by another night – coinciding with Bendall’s attacks, the court heard.
Bendall also took John’s Xbox games console, ordered a taxi, went to Sheffield, where he then exchanged the console ‘for drugs.’
The killer would later tell police he had consumed ‘three to four bags of cocaine and then blacked out’.
