A boyfriend who murdered his pregnant associate and three younger youngsters casually instructed police what he had accomplished in chilling footage launched as we speak after he was jailed for all times.
Damien Bendall, 32, raped and killed Lacey Bennett, 11, then murdered her brother John Paul Bennett, 13, their mom and his girlfriend Terri Harris, 35, and 11-year-old Connie Gent in Killamarsh, Derbyshire final yr.
Justice Nigel Sweeney had no hesitation in handing him the uncommon punishment this afternoon, which suggests he won’t ever be launched.
And as he was sentenced police launched footage of the second of his arrest, exhibiting him wanting unconcerned concerning the nightmare he had inflicted. It occurred after he had taken murdered John’s X-box to Sheffield to promote for medication.

Damien Bendall has admitted murdering Lacey Bennett, 11, her brother John Paul Bennett, 13, their mom Terri Harris, 35, and 11-year-old Connie Gent in Killamarsh, Derbyshire final yr

Lacey Bennett, left, her mom Terri Harris, centre, and her brother, John Paul, had been all killed
The footage confirmed him saying ‘I am going again to jail once more’ and ‘I’ve murdered 4 folks’.
In court docket this afternoon Choose Sweeney confirmed little perception in Bendall’s pathetic try to elucidate away the killings by claiming he had a mind damage, one thing his personal lawyer mentioned no assessments had proved. His drug use was additionally not accepted as a mitigating issue.
The choose instructed him: ‘You will have a major background of violent offending.
‘In April 2020 you started a relationship with Terri Harris which turned abusive and controlling, distancing Terri from her household.
‘On September 18, you carried out a brutal and cruel assault on a defenceless lady and three youngsters. You attacked Lacey downstairs and carried her upstairs the place you raped her on the mattress the place her mom had been killed as her life ebbed away.’
Bendall had proven no regard for any of his victims. After killing John, he stole his X-Field and took a taxi to Sheffield to promote it for medication.
On the best way he had instructed the cabbie, he had spent the night time ‘chilling along with his household’.
Giving his response to the whole-life order handed to him, the deputy chief crown prosecutor for the East Midlands, Andrew Baxter, mentioned: ‘It’s arduous to place into phrases the dimensions of Damien Bendall’s barbaric and horrifying actions.

Second quadruple killer Damien Bendall, 32, meets police exterior the home of the murders

Bendall, who might be seen in a Chelsea t-shirt, whined about how he can be despatched again to jail

A court docket artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook dinner of Damien Bendall showing at Derby Crown Court docket
‘I might additionally wish to thank my devoted authorized staff who labored tirelessly on the case to make sure this offender will not hurt anybody else.’
Earlier Lacey and John’s father Jason instructed of his agony he might by no means once more ‘Kiss them and inform them I like them’.
And their grandmother and Terri’s mom Angela Smith mentioned: ‘I instructed John and Lacey there have been no such factor as monsters. How improper I used to be.’
Bendall had beforehand tried to plead responsible to manslaughter by diminished duty, nevertheless it was refused by the prosecution.
At Derby Crown Court docket this morning he lastly admitted homicide and raping schoolgirl Lacey through the assault on September 18 final yr.
Prosecutor Louis Mably KC mentioned Bendall – who as soon as boasted about killing a canine with a brick – murdered every sufferer in a unique room in the home with a claw hammer.
He mentioned Lacey was raped as she lay dying, including: ‘The circumstances are really hideous. Terri was within the early levels of being pregnant.
‘It seems the defendant went round the home searching for them and attacking them every in flip.
‘These had been brutal, vicious and merciless assaults on a defenceless lady and three younger youngsters.
‘The defendant attacked them utilizing a claw hammer which he used to hit them over the pinnacle and on the higher physique.


Connie Gent, 11, (left) was at a sleepover on the house in Killamarsh when she was murdered with Lacey (proper), John and their mom Terri Harris

A poignant image of Lacey Bennett and Connie Gent emerged, exhibiting them going out of their method to assist these much less lucky hours earlier than the murders
‘It was completely clear not one of the victims stood an opportunity.’
Terri had first moved to Killamarsh in September 2020 and had tried to maintain the handle secret from Bendall, who she had first met on a courting web site in April of that yr.
However by August 2021 she instructed a pal she and the defendant had been making an attempt for a child and at round this time she instructed her mom she meant to marry him.
On the day of the assaults the kids had put up a stall exterior the home promoting sweets to lift cash for Most cancers Analysis.
Phone proof, together with texts, helped clarify the sequence of occasions and sheds gentle on the deteriorating relationship between Bendall and Terri.
Mr Mably mentioned: ‘One piece of proof is a bit dated from September 16, simply earlier than the weekend in query, when a neighbour was on the pavement in Chandos Crescent and was simply throughout the highway from the home when she noticed the defendant leaving the property and shout ‘this isn’t completed but.’
‘The witness thought on the time she would not let somebody communicate to her in that trend.’
The court docket heard Bendall had a gathering that day and it appeared to the practitioner he was not beneath the affect of drink and medicines and he claimed he was abstaining.

The neighborhood was left devastated by the murders and left floral tributes on the Derby scene

A be aware on flowers left on the scene as we speak mentioned the 4 victims’ lives ‘had been minimize far too quick however reminiscences would dwell on’
By 7:40pm, the defendant was out and telephone information ‘clarify he was shopping for and smoking hashish.’
Mr Mably mentioned at round 5pm Ms Harris spoke to a pal and mentioned they didn’t have plans that weekend and he or she would name as ‘we’ve some excellent news for you.’
Mr Mably mentioned : ‘Amongst all this, Terri was caring for her youngsters who had been on that day in school. It’s clear between messages between Terri and her youngsters they’d an in depth and loving relationship and so they had plans that weekend and that included Lacey’s pal Connie staying over for a sleepover.’
The court docket has heard Connie went over for a sleepover and so they all went to mattress at 10pm. Mr Mably mentioned Ms Harris ‘referred to as all of them and instructed them to wash their enamel.’
John despatched a message to his father that night time ‘a few Christmas current John hoped to obtain from his father that December. It was a typical dialog.’
The court docket heard Connie requested her mom if she might keep an additional night time on the home in Chandos Crescent, and he or she agreed.
Mr Mably mentioned: ‘Throughout the day the ladies and John spent the afternoon exterior the home, promoting sweets as a way to fundraise for Most cancers Analysis. Glad go fortunate.
‘This was in reality recorded partially on the ladies’ cell telephones and different components of their actions in that afternoon had been recorded on native CCTV.’
A clip was performed in court docket, a recording Connie and Lacey made on their telephone with a poster they’d made for his or her candy stall.

The devastated father of two youngsters discovered lifeless alongside their greatest pal and mom at a semi-detached home
Mr Mably mentioned: ‘Terri requested them to return house simply earlier than 8pm. From about that point, the three youngsters had been inside the home.
‘The textual content messages, as I say, despatched between Terri and her youngsters that day confirmed she was a caring and loving mom who loved an in depth and loving relationship with them.
‘As they had been all collectively in the home, simply after 9pm Connie’s mom despatched a WhatsApp message to Connie wishing her ‘goodnight’ and Connie replied instantly saying good night time to her mom.’
Mr Mably continued: ‘Connie’s mom remembers that at round 21.30 she overheard a FaceTime dialog between her older daughter Libby and John Bennett. In her recollection, the dialog lasted for roughly half-hour. Connie’s mum hear the sound from Chandos Crescent. They had been having a final runaround.
‘The final message was despatched at 9.42pm, when John indicated to his mom that he would have a bathe earlier than going to mattress. There then comes some extent of making an attempt to pinpoint when the assaults befell. There was no sound emanating that could possibly be heard by a neighbour.
‘What the proof signifies is that a while after 9.42pm, the assaults started. The details was the kids was going to mattress and the defendant was in the home.
‘Phone proof exhibits at 7.50pm he had been in the home making an attempt to make contact along with his drug vendor, telephoning the vendor of cocaine and it seems he had cocaine to promote and it seems he was sending messages out to his purchasers at the moment.’
The household’s 4 our bodies had been found at a home in Killamarsh, in Derbyshire on September 19.
The alarm had been raised after a relative of Bendall had referred to as Dorset Police to say he had sustained a self-inflicted stab wound.
Mr Mably mentioned Bendall referred to as his mom at round 7am after which she referred to as the police to inform them the that her son had suffered a self-inflicted stab wound.
It was then the killer used Connie’s telephone to name 999 the place he instructed them that he had killed 4 folks.
Officers met the killer on the door of the home and after speaking to him he allow them to in.
Inside they discovered the rampage he had gone on and the 4 our bodies within the property.
The court docket heard attending officer PC Stubbs discovered John mendacity lifeless on the ground of the lavatory.
He found Lacey and Terri’s our bodies in the primary bed room and Connie within the second bed room.
Harrowing audio of him performed to the court docket confirmed how the veteran officer had mentioned: Oh Jesus, there are no less than three casualties, they’re gone, they’re all gone, Jesus. I do not know who they’re however they’re all gone. Large head accidents.’
As he was arrested Bendall had whined to officers ‘I am going again to jail once more’ and ‘I’ve murdered 4 folks’.
When police requested him why he mumbled ‘I do not know. I blanked out, it is like I used to be, erm, exterior my physique however wanting in.’
Bendall was infamous within the space as a neighborhood prison.
Now the pleas have been entered it may be disclosed he had brushes with the legislation, together with arson when he set a BMW price £1,350 on hearth in Might 2020.
He was serving a suspended sentence for this when he carried out the murders.
On the time of their murders John and Lacey’s father, Jason Bennett, made a heartfelt tribute to his son and daughter.
In assertion he mentioned ‘I have been left damaged. I am devastated. John and Lacey got here into our lives and introduced a lot love and happiness and had been adored on my own and their massive sisters, without end cherished and remembered.
‘We might additionally wish to thank everybody for his or her loving help and our ideas exit to everybody affected by the tragic lack of 4 treasured lives.’
Ms Harris’s mother and father, Angela Smith and Lawrence Harris, described her as ‘a tremendous mum’ who ‘put herself out not only for her household and associates however anybody who wanted her assist’.
They added: ‘She completely cherished her work as a care employee and would go above and past for the folks she cared for.
‘She will likely be missed greater than any phrases can ever specific, not solely by her household however by anybody who had the privilege to have been in her life.’
And Connie’s father, Charles Gent mentioned: ‘The ache is indescribable. I get up each morning hoping this has all been a horrible nightmare, nevertheless it’s not. It is the insufferable actuality that my little woman has gone.
‘Connie was an absolute celebrity in each method. She had a present – if somebody was down she might immediately make them really feel okay.
‘She lit up each room she went in and meant one thing to everybody she got here throughout, even in arduous instances. Connie had the power to maintain everybody smiling.
‘Fly secure my angel. They got here for you and left me behind. I might by no means say goodbye, so I am going to see you quickly. I like you greater than you’ll be able to probably think about without end and at all times.’