‘I am living in a continual nightmare’: Heartbroken families reveal how their lives were devastated by ‘truly evil’ quadruple killer who killed his partner and three children at sleepover in cold-blooded murder
- Damien Bendall said he murdered Lacey Bennett, 11, and her brother John, 13
- He also said he killed his partner, Terri Harris, 35, and friend Connie Gent, 11
- The heartbroken families reveal how their lives have been devastated by Bendall
- Bendall was given a whole life term, meaning he will never be released from jail
Families whose lives were devastated by quadruple killer Damien Bendall have released statements about their ‘continual nightmare’, following his sentencing.
Bendall, 32, raped and killed Lacey Bennett, 11, then murdered her brother John Paul Bennett, 13, their mother and his girlfriend Terri Harris, 35, and 11-year-old Connie Gent in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, last year.
The victim impact statements were issued following a sentencing hearing today at Derby Crown Court, which saw the evil murderer receive a rare whole life term.
Family members of the victims share how Bendall has destroyed their lives, left them traumatised and made their futures seem ‘pointless’.
Lacey and John’s grandmother and Terri’s mother Angela Smith said: ‘I told John and Lacey there were no such thing as monsters. How wrong I was.’
Lacey Bennett, left, her mother Terri Harris, centre, and her brother, John Paul, were all killed by Damien Bendall last year
Connie Gent was also killed, she had been staying over for a sleepover with Lacey
Damien Bendall was jailed for his whole life after admitting murdering Lacey Bennett, 11, her brother John Paul Bennett, 13, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and 11-year-old Connie Gent in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, last year
Jason Bennett, father of John and Lacey Bennett
I am giving this Victim Impact statement concerning the death of my son and daughter, John and Lacey Bennett on the 19th of September 2021 at Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh in Derbyshire. The statement details how the murder of my children has affected me, my partner Caroline and our families and friends.
The murder of my two children has destroyed and taken my life away. Life now seems pointless, going to work, everyday things, I don’t see what it means anymore. Looking towards the future is difficult and painful. If It wasn’t for my partner Caroline, I wouldn’t be here now.
This has impacted every aspect of my life, I can’t go to certain places, simple things like, I can longer walk down the school clothing aisle In a shop as it brings back too many memories. Occasionally I do become distracted from what has happened, then | realise they are not here and my mind goes back to the trauma of how they died.
I am living in a continual nightmare, I have a story in my head of how they died, I live their trauma and feel their pain, it feels like a reoccurring punishment. John and Lacey were innocent. I am angry and sad they have been taken away from me.
So many family and friends have been traumatised by the murders, I hurt for them, I feel their pain, this has rippled throughout our family and friends including John and Lacey’s school friends.
I will not see them grow up, | will not be given the opportunity to be a grandad. I am angry their life, their future has been taken away from them. I am lost without them and I need them. When I went to the hospital to see them, I promised John and Lacey I would live their life for them.
John Paul Bennett and Lacey Bennett with their father Jason, who said: ‘I am lost without them and I need them’
We try to make life normal but it is no longer normal. John and Lacey were beautiful, polite, kind, well-mannered children. John would not hurt a fly, literally, if he saw an insect he would carefully put it outside. He was very trusting and would always see the best in people.
On the last day of her life, Lacey was out with her friend Connie Gent raising money for charity. Lacey was kind and caring. We are devastated Connie has died along with them.
I’ve felt pain before, I’ve lost people and other family members before, all I dearly loved. But this pain, the pain of a parent losing not one child but two children. Their only children. Taken away from the world innocently, that’s a pain that’s ended my life too. It’s like my heart has been shattered into a billion pieces never to be repaired. I’m a shadow of my former self, I am nothing.
‘As well as taking four lives he has taken my life too. I no longer have a future, there is no hunger to succeed, life is empty, all I feel is sadness. I have lots of love and support around me, I do, but the love I crave off my beautiful kids, I can’t have that, that’s a hole that can never be filled.
I can’t kiss them, I cant tell them I love them and get an answer back, I feel broken that | will never get to hug them, squeeze them tight, I would give anything just to speak with them and say goodnight my beautiful.
‘I lived and worked and did the things I did for them. Now I have nothing to fight for, I’m lost without them. All | have is that each day that passes is a day I’m closer to my babies. I used to be scared of dying, because I feared I would miss out on loving and holding John and Lacey and seeing what they are doing in life.
I wanted to be a part of it all forever. Now I don’t fear death. I’m not scared at all. I just want the pain I feel to end. I know I can’t change anything and that makes me feel hopeless. I didn’t see John and Lacey every day, but | would speak with them or message them every day.
Just knowing I will never do that again fills me with an unbearable pain. I switch through every emotion, one moment I feel angry, then sadness, hopelessness and despair. Sometimes I verbally lash out. I know there are questions that may never be answered. My mental health has deteriorated. I cannot comprehend how someone could take so many innocent lives, it makes no sense.
Angela Smith, mother of Terri Harris
When I was told the harrowing news that Terri, Lacey and John had been murdered I instantly knew it could only have been Damien Bendall. Initially, I couldn’t take in the enormity of what I had been told and for a few days I kept thinking that Terri would call me or walk through the door and say, ‘Everything was ok’.
Obviously, this never happened and since this day my life has been one of purely existence and each day has no significance. I could not possibly put all my emotions into words, but I will try and put across some of my feelings and how much of a void this senseless murder has left in my life.
Some days I question the meaning of my existence and I hate thinking this as I have a loving husband and parents, but Bendall has taken everything from me and I feel empty. I wish he had taken my life not theirs as they had their whole lives ahead of them.
I struggle to try and explain to my elderly parents what happened to Terri, Lacey and John, I don’t fully understand myself, but I must accept I will never know as the only living person with this knowledge is Bendall.
Terri was my only child, and I will never have any more children or grandchildren. Terri, Lacey and John meant the world to me and were the most precious people in my life. Not being able to give them a kiss, a hug and tell them ‘I love them’ breaks my heart. I would give anything to be able to spend a moment with them.
Angela Smith, mother of Terri Harris (pictured), described seeing the bodies of her grandchildren and daughter in the mortuary
I had such a close relationship with Lacey and John they would tell me and my husband how much they loved us which they didn’t say to anyone other than Terri and Jason. I was put through the horrific torment of having to see Terri, Lacey and John at the mortuary and chapel of rest and I cannot put into words how distressing this was.
I remember being at the mortuary and falling to my knees in between my two dead grandchildren. I visited Terri at the chapel of rest and the funeral director advised me not to see her as she had deteriorated so badly but I had to see my baby.
After viewing Terri, I recall telling the funeral director to close the coffin as I didn’t want anyone else seeing her. Terri had gone from a 35-year-old beautiful woman to someone who looked in their 90s and this image will stay with me forever.
After seeing Terri I could not see Lacey and John in their open coffins and asked for the lids to be closed. I recall sitting between their white coffins and saying to my husband ‘I can’t believe I’m talking to two coffins with my grandchildren inside’. I was in total disbelief thinking this isn’t real, but it sadly was.
No mum should ever have to go through the experience of burying their own daughter and especially their grandchildren.
The person who has taken my world from me Damien Bendall is someone who I initially welcomed into my home and on occasions, he has stayed over with Terri. This was against my better judgement and as I became aware of his violent past I still gave him a chance as this was what Terri wanted and he told me he had changed and would never hurt Terri or the children.
How could Bendall commit such horrific acts of violence against a woman and three defenceless children who posed no threat or harm towards him. They did not deserve to die and the way they did haunts me every day. I cannot help thinking if any of them witnessed what was happening to the others and how terrified and scared they must have been.
Terri was a bubbly, loving person who would do anything for others. We were best friends and enjoyed going to concerts, singing on karaoke, shopping and taking the children to see wrestling and Dancing on Ice. We could spend hours just chatting and being in each other’s company.
This has now all been taken from me and we had so many more adventures ahead of us. Terri was a fantastic mum she adored Lacey and John who were her life and they had a fantastic bond, Terri wouldn’t have done anything to jeopardise the children’s wellbeing.
Lacey loved dancing and performing, she was theatrical and enjoyed watching and making Tik Tok videos. Lacey enjoyed the attention of her family and friends, she was a girly girl who enjoyed doing people’s hair and makeup. Lacey would wind John in a playful way although they were very close, she was a loving, caring person.
John was a ‘real thinker’ and more reserved than Lacey, who ‘loved dancing and performing’
John was more reserved than Lacey a real thinker and thoughtful towards others. He was very affectionate and when younger he would specifically ask for me if feeling unwell. Even as a typical teenager who loved playing on his games console he would always give me a kiss and say how much he loved me before leaving.
I would frequently message Lacey and John and we would talk about our days. They were both considerate and would message on special occasions to wish me happy birthday.
Now my family has been taken away from me I will not see John and Lacey leave school, develop into adulthood, marry, and have their own families. Neither will I see Terri develop her profession in the care industry which she had a real passion for.
I recall when Lacey and John were younger they would say ‘I’m scared of monsters’ and I would tell them ‘There’s no such thing as monsters’, but how wrong I was.
I miss my weekly catchups with Terri, Lacey and John, they would visit every Saturday and we would all have tea together. We loved celebrating special occasions, Birthdays, Christmases, Mother’s Day and many more but these joyous occasions have now turned into ones of dread which I will never celebrate again.
My friends and extended family feel uncomfortable around me as they are afraid of saying the wrong thing and upsetting me. I struggle to cope with people’s empathy and have strangers coming up to me saying how sorry they are for my loss and hugging me, I find this too much although I know they are doing it through kindness.
When I go out on occasion I find myself unconsciously staring at young children and thinking of Lacey and John and how I will never see them again. When watching certain television programs and the storylines are around domestic abuse I think of what Bendall did to Terri, Lacey and John and these feelings will never go away.
Since Terri, Lacey and John were taken from me I have been unable to sleep at night with my mind constantly racing, trying to piece together what happened. I often have nightmares of Bendall walking around Terri’s house looking for her and the children and I will wake up not being able to breathe.
The community was left devastated by the murders and left floral tributes at the scene
I am traumatised by what Bendall has done and I feel scared when I’m alone as my husband works away. We have had to install a ring doorbell and cameras because of my insecurities and I have become obsessive with checking the cameras, making sure the doors are locked and the security lights are on.
I have also become very wary of strangers thinking they are staring at me and I question what they want because of what has happened. I cannot stop thinking that the last person Terri, Lacey and John saw was this evil person Bendall looking at them and it breaks my heart.
Mine and my husband’s life has been changed forever and our future plans have been shattered and I solely blame Bendall for this. I cannot comprehend how a person could commit such an evil act and there is no punishment to fit Bendall’s horrific crimes.
I hope he never gets released from prison to be given the opportunity to inflict pain and hurt onto anyone else or to see the light of day again.
Peter Harris, father of Terri Harris
I was told the dreadful news that no parent would ever want to hear and at that moment my life changed forever. I was then put through the horrific torment of having to go and see my daughter and grandkids at the mortuary. I cannot put into words how distressing this was and the vision of the three of them has been imprinted on my brain forever.
The last time I physically got to see my daughter and grandkids was in July 2020 and I could not comprehend that this would be the last time of seeing them. I would do anything to see them one more time, to be able to give them a big hug and kiss and tell them how much I love and miss them.
My daughter and grandkids were beautiful inside and out. Kind-hearted, loving, caring, vibrant people with their whole lives ahead of them. Losing them in such monstrous, tragic circumstances has hit me really hard, and I won’t ever be able to understand how any human could murder a defenceless woman and children.
At this time the sadness is unbearable and I will never be able to get over what has happened. I have lost three of the most important people in my life as has the rest of my family.
I feel like I bottle a lot of my feelings up and find it difficult to express and put my emotions into words, some days I could explode with a mixture of sadness and rage. My daughter and grandkids have left an enormous gap in my life and one that can never be filled, I miss them so much every day.
I try and take each day at a time and immerse myself in work to occupy my mind, but I cannot help thinking of all the different life events my daughter and grandkids will miss out on. I will never see my daughter marry and be able to walk her down the aisle or see my grandkids grow into adulthood.
A note on flowers left at the scene today said the four victims’ lives ‘were cut far too short but memories would live on’
Birthdays and Christmases will be particularly difficult for me and having to accept that we will never be able to celebrate these together is upsetting. Although I lived some distance away I would visit my daughter and grandkids when I could and we would stay in touch by social media and phone.
Terri knew that no matter how far apart we were I was there for them all. I have so many lovely memories to cherish of our time spent together and these will always stay with me, although we should have been able to make so many more.
Damien Bendall has taken away three precious people who meant so much to so many. They had done nothing to him to warrant such unthinkable levels of violence, he has destroyed our lives and we will never recover.
I work as a builder and one of my main tools which I use daily is a hammer but knowing that Bendall used one as a weapon against my daughter and grandkids I have a constant reminder of the horrific attack. In a short time, Bendall inflicted the most devastating consequences, nothing stopped him and this was an act of monumental brutality that can never be rectified.
He will still be able to see people, but I will never experience that privilege again with my daughter and grandkids.
Charles Gent, father of Connie Gent
Throughout my life, I have found it difficult articulate or put into words my emotions or feelings, so the completion of this statement is something that I have not found easy.
The murder of my daughter Connie has completely torn my life apart. I feel totally lost and numb through the pain and distress this has caused me. I feel like I have become a lost soul trying to navigate my way through life without her here.
Whenever I am out and I hear a teenage girl’s voice, for a split second I imagine it is Connie and I desperately look for her before the sad realisation that it is purely my imagination. Sometimes I just feel like I am within my own little world and distant from the reality of normal life.
Connie Gent’s father Charles said he will be haunted by his daughters murder ‘until the end of my life’
I feel like part of my identity has been taken and feel like I do not know who I am or what my purpose in life is anymore. My heart is totally broken and shattered into pieces. Whatever happens at court will not bring Connie back. No sentence will ever be sufficient justice for Connie’s death. Whilst the court process may answer some of the questions I have about my daughter’s death, I feel like I will still be left with a number of unanswered questions.
As a result of my daughter’s death, my mental health deteriorated significantly. Whilst I am hopeful it will improve in the fullness of time; I know the reality is that I will live the rest of my life thinking about the brutal way my daughter’s life ended. This will haunt me until the end of my life and makes me feel a combination of sick to the pit of my stomach to raging anger about how she has been robbed of her life because of the brutality of one man.
This whole crime is totally senseless. There can be no justification whatsoever for what happened that night inside that address to Connie and the other victims. The man who carried out the crimes can only be described as truly evil and should never be free from incarceration, just like the families of the victims in this case will never be free from their life sentence as a result of the shocking and abhorrent crimes he committed on a defenceless woman and children.
Source: Read Full Article
