In court,‘dad-to-be’ accused of family sleepover massacre
A MAN appeared in court yesterday charged with murdering his ‘pregnant’ partner, her two children and a school friend during a sleepover bloodbath.
Damien Bendall, 31, is accused of killing Terri Harris, 35, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, daughter Lacey, 11, and Lacey’s best friend Connie Gent, also 11.
Police found the bodies at the couple’s house in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, on Sunday morning, just hours after Lacey and Connie were pictured selling sweets and biscuits for a cancer charity.
The suspect, originally from Swindon, Wiltshire, appeared by video link from police custody for his first court hearing at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
He wore a grey sweater and jogging bottoms as he spoke to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
As Bendall responded, frowning, with his hands in his lap, the court’s legal adviser told him to ‘speak up’ so he could be heard because he was ‘speaking softly’. Deputy district judge Gary Garland ordered Bendall to appear at Derby Crown Court at 10am tomorrow. He was not granted bail. Lacey and Connie were pictured on Saturday next to a table full of sweets they were selling in aid of Cancer Research after meeting a local sufferer.
A neighbour in Killamarsh said she believed the victims were stabbed to death shortly after.
A source close to Bendall said Miss Harris was pregnant with the suspect’s child. He added: ‘I was informed [of the pregnancy] six weeks ago. I was told that he was up in that area with a girl and that he had one on the way.’
Police have said they are not in a position to confirm Miss Harris’s pregnancy until after post-mortem examinations take place.
The deaths have sent shockwaves of grief and anger through the close-knit community.
Jason Bennett, Lacey and John Paul’s father, said his children had been looking forward to celebrating his partner’s birthday before the tragedy.
In a separate post yesterday, he wrote: ‘Justice will be done. Rest in peace. Night my beautiful angels. Love you to the moon and back John Bennett and Lacey Elizabeth. My world.’
Outwood Academy City school in Sheffield, where the three children were pupils, said their memories would ‘live on forever’. In a statement, the school said: ‘The children had bright futures ahead of them but sadly none of us will get to see this.’
The children’s headmaster Andrew Downing left flowers at the scene yesterday.
Mr Downing sobbed as he picked up teddy bears and read tributes left to his former pupils.
West Ham United football club, which Lacey and Terri supported, also left a wreath with a message of condolence.