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The judge who sentenced serial murderer Damien Bendall told the defendant that he had struck his four victims with such force with a claw hammer that their skulls were smashed-in.

Serial-killer Damien Bendall, aged 32, pleaded guilty to murdering his pregnant partner Terri Harris, her children John Paul Bennett and Lacey Bennett and Lacey’s friend, Connie Gent, during an horrific killing spree at the couple’s shared home on Chandos Cresent, in Killamarsh, in September, 2021, according to a Derby Crown Court hearing.

The court also heard that Bendall admitted raping 11-year-old Lacey during the rampage as she lay dying from her head wounds.

Mr Justice Nigel Sweeney – the judge - told Bendall: “You carried out brutal, vicious and cruel attacks on a defenceless woman and three children during which you went around through the house attacking them.”

Pictured are murderer Damien Bendall's victims including Terri Harris, her two children John Paul Bennett and Lacey Bennett, and Lacey's young friend Connie Gent.

He added: “Hitting them multiple times about the head with a claw hammer with such ferocity that their skulls were literally smashed in.”

Mr Justice Sweeney further told Bendall that “after you had attacked Lacey in the living room”, “you carried her unconscious to the main bedroom where Terri laid.”

He added that after Bendall had placed Lacey on the bed he raped the youngster as ‘her young life was ebbing away’.

Mr Justice Sweeney revealed that Bendall had a background of violent offending and after his relationship with Terri Harris began in April, 2020, he had become abusive and controlling and he had been taking drugs and had become unstable.

Pictured is Damien Bendall, aged 32, formerly of Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh, who was sentenced to 'whole life' imprisonment after he murdered his partner, her two children and one of their young friends.

He also highlighted Bendall’s chilling comments to police after the killings when the defendant had told officers that he would bet they had not expected to get get four murders in Killamarsh, or even five because his partner Terri had been pregnant.

The bodies of Terri, aged 35, and her 11-year-old daughter Lacey were found by police in the master bedroom and the body of 11-year-old Connie, who had been staying overnight, was found in another bedroom, and 13-year-old John Paul Bennett's body was found in the bathroom.

Prosecuting barrister Louis Mably KC urged the judge to consider that a "whole life order" was called for in the sentencing of Bendall given the high level of "seriousness" involved in the offending.

Defence barrister Vanessa Marshall KC said Bendall could not recall committing these offences and that even though his actions remain inexplicable and motiveless he feels genuine remorse and he hoped a full life custodial sentence would provide some justice for his victims’ families.

Mr Justice Sweeney agreed that the offences had been so exceptionally serious that he agreed that it would be wrong to impose a life sentence with a minimum term to be served before Bendall might be considered for release.

Instead, Mr Justice Sweeny sentenced Bendall, who has previous convictions, to a ‘whole life term’ which means he will spend all his life behind bars and most likely die in custody.

He told Bendall: “Punishment requires that you be kept in prison for the rest of your life.”

Killamarsh murders: Judge told serial murderer Damien Bendall he carried out 'brutal, vicious and cruel attacks'