Damien Bendall: Quadruple killer was master manipulator, mum says

Terri Harris was pregnant when Damien Bendall murdered her

A grieving mum has described the man who murdered her pregnant daughter and grandchildren as a "psychopath" and "master manipulator".

Damien Bendall killed Terri Harris, her children John Bennett, 13, and Lacey Bennett, 11, with a claw hammer at their home in Derbyshire in 2021.

Bendall also murdered Lacey's 11-year-old friend Connie Gent.

Ms Harris' mother, Angie Smith, said "a light has gone out in our lives" after their deaths.

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Smith, 57, said Bendall initially seemed "charming" when he and Ms Harris started a relationship, but that her daughter's behaviour began to change.

"He was always with her," she said. "There wasn't a time he wasn't with her. It was just constant. She started to change the way she dressed. She was quieter.

"She's always been a tomboy. Always. But when she started going with him it was always tight shorts and low-cut tops. Her hair became bright red.

"It was as if he was parading her round."

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

Bendall, from Swindon, who had a history of serious and violent offences dating back to 2004, went on to kill Ms Harris, 35, and the children at the family's home in Killamarsh. He also raped Lacey.

He was convicted of the four murders in December 2022 and was given a whole-life order, meaning he will never be released from prison.

Weeks before the murders, he was given a suspended sentence for arson, which included a curfew requirement at Ms Harris' home after being deemed a low risk to partners and children.

An inquest, held last month, heard Bendall had previously said he would kill them if his relationship with Ms Harris "went bad".

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

The probation service accepted 51 separate failings at the inquests, held at Chesterfield Coroner's Court, and accepted a catalogue of missed opportunities and lack of scrutiny concerning Bendall's supervision going back several years.

Ms Smith said hearing of those failings felt "just like being punched in the stomach".

"We know he was a psychopath. We know he was a master manipulator," she said.

"Going through the inquest, it was like no-one talks to each other and no-one listens. That's pretty scary.

"They say they will make changes now, but in a year or so you'll go back and look again and they won't be made."

Ms Smith said her suspicions about Bendall had prompted her to consider using the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme - known as Clare's Law - named after Clare Wood, who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend in 2009.

The scheme is a means of letting people find out from police if their partner has a history of domestic violence.

However, she changed her mind because she was worried the police would send their response to her daughter and Bendall might find out.

"I realised the information would probably go to my daughter and he's there all the time," Ms Smith said.

"I thought 'I can't do that'. Would I put her in more danger? Would I put the kids in more danger? So I didn't do it."

'Not fit for purpose'

She and one of Ms Harris' other relatives, Jade Donovan, are now trying to get Clare's Law changed, so the police can send a response to a close relative.

They also want to make Clare's Law application forms simpler and easier to find on police force websites.

They said they had meetings with ministers and Home Office officials about their campaign.

Ms Donovan said: "The [meetings] with the ministers were not that good. They basically told us Clare's Law does work and that was it.

"The Home Office said the form was going to change and it would be consistent to all police forces.

"But that is still not happening and this form is still not being sent to different forces.

"Clare's Law does work to a certain part but it's not fit for purpose and there is still work to be done."

Ms Donovan added: "Terri was just an amazing human. Everything about her was just for her children. She did everything for her kids."

The Home Office did not respond to a request for a comment.

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