Probation staff in Damien Bendall case were 'overworked', inquest told

Probation staff that were in charge of release of Damien Bendall, 33, killed his pregnant partner and three children while high on cocaine were ‘overworked’, inquest hears

Probation staff were overworked and ‘cracks’ were showing in a team monitoring a violent criminal freed to carry out four brutal murders, an inquest heard yesterday.

Damien Bendall, 33, killed his pregnant partner and three children while high on cocaine.

In a bloody rampage, he used a claw hammer to attack his girlfriend Terri Harris, 35, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, her daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, also 11, who was at Ms Harris’ house for a sleepover.

The drug addict then raped Lacey and took John’s computer console to sell so he could buy more drugs, his crown court trial heard.

When arrested, he told police that it was five murders ‘because my missus was having a baby’.

Damien Bendall, 33, (pictured) killed his pregnant partner and three children while high on cocaine

He used a claw hammer to attack his girlfriend Terri Harris, 35, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, her daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, also 11, who was at Ms Harris’ house for a sleepover. Pictured: Terri Harris, John Paul Bennett and Lacey Bennett

Last year, he was handed a whole life term – meaning he will likely die in jail – after he admitted carrying out the attacks in Killamarsh, Derbyshire in September 2021.

It later emerged proper handling of cocaine addict Bendall should have ensured he was in prison at the time of the killings in September last year.

But he had been set free three months earlier despite being convicted of arson – after the probation officer working on that case wrongly described him as ‘medium risk’ rather than ‘high risk’ at his sentencing, meaning he got a suspended sentence.

The vital sentencing report for his arson attack in Swindon was prepared for the judge by a probation officer working from home during coronavirus lockdowns last year, a report found.

Inquests into the deaths of Ms Harris, her children and Connie Gent, began at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court yesterday.

It will seek to understand how Bendall, who had a history of serious and violent offences dating back to 2004, was classed as posing a low risk of serious harm to partners and children.

Two probation officers who worked at Swindon Probation Service, which was dealing with Bendall as he lived in the area before moving in with Ms Harris, told the inquest their workload left them stressed. 

Last year, he was handed a whole life term – meaning he will likely die in jail – after he admitted carrying out the attacks in Killamarsh, Derbyshire in September 2021. Pictured: Police at the scene in Chandos Crescent in in Killamarsh, Derbyshire

Inquests into the deaths of Ms Harris, her children and Connie Gent, began at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court yesterday. It will seek to understand how Bendall, who had a history of serious and violent offences dating back to 2004, was classed as posing a low risk of serious harm to partners and children. Pictured: Bendall during his arrest in 2021

Probation officer Matt Read, who worked at the office between May 2016 and April 2017, said he moved to the branch to help out because they had staffing and recruitment issues.

Mr Read told the inquest how an ex-partner of Bendall had made allegations of domestic abuse against him, but this could not be recorded in the offender assessment system, known as OASys, because it is a document that is seen by the offender and could put the woman at risk.

But it meant the potential risk of domestic violence was not passed on to probation officers who took on Bendall’s case in future.

Rebecca Thomas, who worked on Bendall’s case from June 2018 to July 2019, said she was not aware that an ex-partner had made allegations of domestic abuse.

One officer assigned to Bendall’s case said they were overworked and ‘the cracks were starting to show in the team’.

Earlier, tributes were paid to the victims by their family.

Damien Bendall is pictured in this December 22 court sketch while he appeared at Derby Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to murder

Miss Harris’ mother Angela Smith said her daughter was ‘completely dedicated’ but had not listened to her concerns about Bendall.

Ms Smith said: ‘I could not possibly put the void this has left inside me into words. Some days I question the meaning of my existence.

‘When Lacey and John were younger they used to say they were scared of monsters, I told them there was no such things as monsters. How wrong I was.’ Chief inspector of probation Justin Russell previously said the Probation Service’s handling of Bendall was of an ‘unacceptable standard’ at every stage and ‘critical opportunities’ to correct errors were missed.

The inquest expected to last two weeks, continues.

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