Coroner Rules 51 Probation Failings Contributed to Quadruple Murder in Killamarsh

Multiple systemic failings identified within Probation Service, including lack of safeguarding checks and mismanagement, that directly contributed to the murder of a pregnant woman and three children by offender on licence in 2021.

• Terri Harris, her children, and a friend were murdered by Damien Bendall in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, in 2021. Bendall, who was on licence at that time, committed the murders with a claw hammer and raped 11-year-old Lacey.
• The coroner has attributed this tragedy to several failings, including 51 individual ones, within the Probation Service, particularly in Bendall’s supervision as he was labeled 'low risk' to partners and children.
• Weeks before the murders, Bendall was given a curfew requirement in Ms. Harris' home after having received a suspended sentence for arson. No safeguarding checks were conducted for Harris or her children before or during this curfew.
• Reports suggest that Bendall had openly threatened to kill Harris and the children if their relationship turned sour while he was being fitted with an electronic tag. This threat was not reported by a probation officer.
• Bendall’s prior history of violent offenses and allegations of domestic abuse and inappropriate contact with a minor were overlooked due to probation officers' lack of professional curiosity. Despite necessary changes to the probation service, major issues regarding offender management remain to be addressed.

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