A series of “very stark” failures by the Probation Service contributed to the murders of a mother and three children by Damien Bendall, a coroner has concluded.
Peter Nieto, the senior coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, said that while Bendall bore “primary responsibility” for the “brutal and savage” murders of Terri Harris, John Paul Bennett, Lacey Bennett and Connie Gent, there were “several very stark acts or omissions” by both the Probation Service and individuals that “accumulatively” contributed to the deaths.
