In a shocking revelation during an inquest at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court, a probation officer, whose identity remains undisclosed for legal reasons, admitted to not having sufficient time to read reports detailing the violent history of Damien Bendall. This negligence in the pre-sentence report allowed Bendall, a convicted murderer, to live with his partner and her children before he brutally killed them.
Damien Bendall, 33, committed the heinous crimes on September 19, 2021, in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, taking the lives of his pregnant partner Terri Harris, 35, her children John Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey Bennett, 11, as well as Lacey’s friend, Connie Gent, also 11. Bendall also raped Lacey on the same day.
The probation officer, while giving evidence, admitted that the pre-sentence report relied heavily on Bendall’s self-reporting, and it was “likely” that she did not read previous reports indicating his high risk to women and children. The officer expressed regret, acknowledging that having more information would have influenced her report and recommendation for a curfew.
Coroner Peter Nieto questioned the officer about the information that identified Bendall’s potential risk, to which she responded affirmatively, stating that it was information she became aware of after the report was submitted.
The officer conceded, saying, “Hindsight is a wonderful thing.” She admitted that more information would have likely changed her report and impacted her recommendation for a curfew. This revelation is critical, considering Bendall had received a suspended sentence with a curfew requirement just weeks before the tragic murders.
Bendall was eventually given a whole-life tariff in December 2022 for the murders and rape. The probation officer’s report, which concluded that Bendall posed a medium risk of serious harm to the public and a low risk of harm to partners and children, played a role in the decision to give him a non-custodial sentence for arson.
The inquest also highlighted discrepancies in safeguarding checks, with the officer admitting that despite ticking the box on the report, these checks were not completed. A subsequent inquiry by the Inspectorate of Probation deemed the assessment that Bendall was suitable for a curfew as “dangerous and entirely inappropriate.”
The inquests continue
