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‘Unforeseen circumstances’ have forced the postponement of inquest reviews into the four people murdered by Damien Bendall in Killamarsh two years ago.

Pre-inquest reviews into the deaths of Lacey Bennett, 11, John Paul Bennett, 13, Connie Gent, 11, and Terri Harris, 35, were due to be heard at Chesterfield Coroners’ Court today (Friday, September 1).

However, upon arrival, members of the media were told that the reviews had been ‘adjourned due to unforeseen circumstances’ with no new date pencilled in.

Pre-inquest reviews are typically used to outline the scope of a coroner’s investigation or to update interested parties - the families of those who have died - on any pre-existing external investigations.

Lacey Bennett with her brother John Paul Bennett and their mother Terri Harris who along with Lacey’s friend, Connie Gent, pictured on the right, were murdered by Damien Bendall.

Damien Bendall, 31 at the time of the offences, is serving a whole-life order after being jailed on December 21 of last year: Bendall admitted four counts of murder and one count of rape but maintains he has ‘no recollection’ of the killings that took place on September 18, 2021.

As reported, Derby Crown Court heard how Bendall had ‘brutally and viciously’ murdered his partner Terri Harris who, at the time, was in the early stages of pregnancy.

He also murdered her two children from another relationship - John Paul Bennett and Lacey Bennett - as well as Lacey’s friend Connie Gent. In court, Bendall admitted to raping 11-year-old Lacey as she lay dying.

On each occasion Bendall struck his victims over their heads with a claw hammer as he moved around his home, which he shared with Terri, in Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh.

The attacks happened shortly after 9.42pm and the court heard that, as the children were preparing to go to bed, Bendall had been trying to contact his drug-dealer for cocaine.

After Bendall carried out the brutal killings, he took John Paul’s games console, then went to Sheffield in a taxi, and exchanged the device for drugs.

Bendall told a police call handler: “I need the police and an ambulance because I just killed four people”, and he added, “I do not know why. It was like I was outside my body looking in.”

He later told police: "I bet you don't get four murders in Killamarsh do you. Well, I mean five because my missus was having a baby.”

Andrew Baxter, from the Crown Prosecution Service, described Bendall as ‘barbaric’.

Killamarsh murders: inquests adjourned due to 'unforeseen circumstances'