Killamarsh murders: Quadruple killer's risk 'relied on self-reporting'

Terri Harris and her children John Bennett (top left) and Lacey Bennett (bottom right) were found dead along with Lacey's friend Connie Gent (top right)

A probation officer who recommended Damien Bendall could live with a mother and her children before he murdered them has admitted she was not fully aware of the risk he posed.

Terri Harris, 35, her son John Bennett, 13, daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend Connie Gent died at a house in Derbyshire in 2021.

The female officer gave evidence at their inquests on Thursday.

Bendall is serving a whole-life sentence for the murders.

Weeks before he killed them and raped Lacey, the 33-year-old was given a suspended sentence for arson, which included a curfew requirement at Ms Harris' home in Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh, after being deemed a low risk to partners and children.

At Chesterfield Coroner's Court, the officer who wrote Bendall's pre-sentence report admitted it relied on his "own self-reporting" and that it was "likely" she did not read previous reports that said he posed a high risk.

The officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the hearing she did not remember seeing information about domestic abuse allegations and concerns he posed a sexual risk to children.

Damien Bendall admitted four murders and the rape of 11-year-old Lacey

Peter Nieto, senior coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, asked her: "Since that time, have you become aware that there was information that probably had identified that he [Bendall] posed a potential risk to partners and children?"

The officer replied: "Yes."

Mr Nieto asked: "Do you think if you had been aware of that information at that time you wrote the report, do you think your report would have been any different?"

The officer said: "Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I had all the time in the world, I can't say definitively that I would have come up with a different conclusion, but having more information would have been more helpful to me to not just rely on his own self-reporting.

"It would certainly have been mentioned within the report and most probably, yes, it probably would have changed my report."

Asked if this would have affected her recommendation for a curfew, the officer said: "I can imagine that it would have had an impact on the recommendation that was given."

The inquest also heard that despite the officer ticking the box on the pre-sentence report to say safeguarding checks had been carried out, including to assess the welfare of John and Lacey, these were not completed.

The officer said she "would not have the capacity or the time to scroll back" through previous risk assessments or other information, despite Bendall having a history of serious and violent offences dating back to 2004.

A subsequent inquiry into Bendall's supervision by the Inspectorate of Probation found the assessment he was suitable for a curfew was "dangerous and entirely inappropriate" and it was "extraordinary" that safeguarding checks were not carried out.

The inquest continues.