The inquests into the deaths of the victims of quadruple murderer Damien Bendall have begun at Chesterfield Coroners Court.
HM Senior Coroner Peter Nieto told the coroners court he was “not concerned about establishing responsibility” for the killings but a potential “contribution to the deaths” in the way Bendall was managed by probation officers.
The role the probation service in Swindon, where Bendall is from, may have played is being examined during the ten-day inquest.
Probation officers descried being stressed and “overwhelmed with work” while managing Bendall’s case. One officer claimed she had a caseload of 179 per cent. Another had an average of 140 per cent.
The inquests into the deaths of the victims of quadruple murderer Damien Bendall have begun at Chesterfield Coroners Court
PA
Probation Officer, Matt Read, who worked at the Swindon branch between May 2016 and April 2017, said he had moved to help with staffing and recruitment issues.
Representatives of the victims' families questioned probation officers about “inaccurate and misleading” disclosures regarding the risks Bendall presented.
Read confirmed a “weakness in the system” used to log the risk offenders pose to others because the system, known as OASys, could not give an accurate description as Bendall could view it putting a previous partner in danger.
Bendall was assessed as “low risk” to children and partners despite evidence of domestic violence in a previous relationship. Officer Rebecca Thomas who worked at Swindon between June 2018 and July 2019 said she had not seen that evidence.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
A review by HM Inspectorate of Probation Services in January 2023 found an "unacceptable standard" in the handling of Damien Bendall's case.
Bendall killed his partner Terri Harris, 35, and her two children John Paul Bennett 13, and Lacey Bennett, 11, plus her friend Connie Gent, 11, during a drug fuelled rampage at a sleepover in Killamarsh in September 2021.
He also raped Lacey Bennett.
Family statements were also read by the coroner. Jason Bennet, John Paul and Lacey’s father, said: “I trusted all necessary checks were done by the authorities. If he has to be on probation checks will be done” into Bendall’s risk.
Damien Bendall killed his partner Terri Harris, 35, and her two children John Paul Bennett 13, and Lacey Bennett, 11, plus her friend Connie Gent, 11, during a drug fuelled rampage at a sleepover in Killamarsh in September 2021
PA
Angela Smith, Terri’s mother and John Paul and Lacey grandmother, said: “when the children said they were scared of monsters I told them there was no such thing. How wrong I was.”
The inquest also heard Pathologists determined that Terri, John Paul and Connie all died from head injury. Lacey Bennet was killed by pressure to neck.
Bendall pleaded guilty to the horrific crimes at Derby Crown Court in December 2022.
All four inquests will be heard at the same time.
