Suspect charged with murders of partner and three children
A MAN has appeared in court charged with the murders of his partner, her two children and a friend who were killed on a sleepover at a house in Derbyshire.
Damien Bendall, 31, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address in the brief hearing at Southern Derbyshire magistrates’ court.
Terri Harris, 35, her children John Paul Bennett, 13, and 11-year-old Lacey Bennett, and Lacey’s best friend Connie Gent, 11, were found dead at the house in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, on Sunday.
Dressed in a prison-issue grey tracksuit, Bendall, of Killamarsh, attended the hearing via video link from Ripley police station.
Prosecutor Rebecca Allsop told the court: ‘Mr Bendall is charged with four counts of murder. This defendant does not have the right to apply for bail.’
He was remanded in custody and is due to appear again at Derby crown court tomorrow.
Police were called just before 7.30am to the house in Chandos Crescent, where they found the bodies of the four victims and arrested a suspect.
John Paul and Lacey’s father Jason Bennett, who was on holiday in Devon at the time, paid tribute to his children on Monday, saying his heart was ‘broken into a million pieces’.
About 300 people gathered for a vigil in a park near the police cordon, where they placed candles and flowers.
All three youngsters were pupils at Outwood Academy City in Sheffield. In a statement, the school said: ‘We are all devastated at the loss of three of our students, John Paul Bennett, Lacey Bennett and Connie Gent.
‘Our hearts are broken after this weekend’s tragic news, and we would like to offer our deepest sympathies and condolences on behalf of everyone at Outwood Academy City to the families of those affected.’