Killamarsh murders
At 07:26 BST on 19 September 2021, police officers were called to a residential property on Chandos Crescent in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, an outer suburb of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Three children and one adult were found dead inside the property, with the incident being treated as a suspected mass murder.[1] On 22 September 2021, 31-year-old Damien Bendall of Killamarsh was charged with four counts of murder and later rape of a girl under 13 in connection with the incident.[2][3][4]
| Killamarsh murders | |
|---|---|
 Tributes left at the police cordon on Chandos Crescent four days after the murders | |
  Killamarsh Killamarsh murders (Sheffield)  Killamarsh murders (the East Midlands)  Killamarsh murders (the United Kingdom) | |
| Location | Chandos Crescent Killamarsh, Derbyshire (suburb of Sheffield, South Yorkshire) |
| Coordinates | 53.321862°N 1.318482°W |
| Date | 07:26 BST (UTC+1) 19 September 2021 |
Attack type | Mass murder, rape |
| Deaths | 4 |
| Victims |
|
| Perpetrators | Damien Bendall |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Judge | Mr Justice Sweeney |
He admitted all charges and was sentenced by Mr Justice Sweeney to a whole-life prison term on 21 December 2022.[5]
Crime details
Killamarsh is a former coal mining town situated in far northern Derbyshire. It is located close to the border with South Yorkshire, across which lies the city of Sheffield, of which Killamarsh has become an outer commuter suburb as Sheffield has expanded to the south and east.
Police officers from the Derbyshire Constabulary attended to reports of a disturbance at a residential property on Chandos Crescent, close to Killamarsh town centre, at 07:26 local time on 19 September 2021. Arriving at the property, officers found Bendall outside, with self-inflicted stab wounds on his chest and stomach from a bread knife. Bendall told the officers he knew he would 'be going to prison again', and when asked what he had done, calmly responded with 'I've murdered four people.' [6] The officers then entered the property where they located the remains of three children and one adult inside. The victims were later named as siblings Lacey Bennett (aged 11) and John Paul Bennett (aged 13), their mother Terri Harris (aged 35), and Lacey's friend Connie Gent (aged 11); the two siblings and the mother lived together at the property, while Gent was staying at the property for a sleepover.[1]
See also
- Shiregreen child murders (2019)
- Derby arson attack (2012)
- Sheffield incest case (2008)
- Ughill Hall shootings (1986)
- List of prisoners with whole life orders
References
- "Killamarsh deaths: Family's tribute to children found dead at house". BBC News. 20 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- "Killamarsh: Man in court charged with murdering three children and woman". BBC News. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
- "Killamarsh deaths: Man, 31, charged with murdering mother and three children". uk.news.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- "Killamarsh: Quadruple murder suspect charged with rape of girl". BBC News. 26 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- "Killamarsh murders: Damien Bendall given whole-life order". BBC News. 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- "'I've murdered four people': Moment Damien Bendall tells police he killed his partner and three children". Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
