Concerns Over Inadequate Management of Dangerous Offenders Following Killamarsh Murders

A senior coroner has raised alarms about the ongoing risk to women and children due to the Probation Service’s inadequate management of dangerous offenders. This follows the inquests into the horrific murders committed by Damien Bendall in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, in 2021, where his failures were linked to the deaths of his partner, her children, and a friend.

Damien Bendall was sentenced to a whole life order in December 2022 for murdering Terri Harris, her children John Paul and Lacey Bennett, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent. The inquests revealed that the Probation Service and Capita PLC’s handling of Bendall contributed to the killings, highlighting 57 significant failings, including his assessment as posing a low risk to partners and children despite a history of violent offences.

Peter Nieto, the senior coroner, issued a Prevention of Future Deaths report after the inquests, expressing serious concerns about the effectiveness of the Probation Service’s offender management system. Nieto stated that the service’s ability to record and assess the risk of dangerous offenders was “insufficient,” with domestic abuse and child safeguarding checks often incomplete or missing.

The coroner questioned whether the Probation Service understood the gravity of the issue, noting that safeguarding failures were not treated as disciplinary matters and could lead to disastrous outcomes for public safety. The inquest revealed that Bendall, despite a violent history, was supervised by overworked and inexperienced probation staff, with key risk assessments and domestic abuse concerns overlooked.

Bendall had previously been involved in violent incidents, including the assault of a partner and possible child sexual abuse, but this was not adequately recorded or flagged for future evaluations. Nieto’s report also criticised the confusing systems used to document offenders, further complicating the management of high-risk individuals.

The Probation Service has since pledged to address these failings by improving training, mandating domestic abuse and child safeguarding checks, and enhancing information-sharing. However, the coroner’s report has been forwarded to the Justice Secretary and the Chief Probation Officer, who are required to respond within 56 days on the actions taken to prevent similar incidents.

The report also highlighted a failure by Capita PLC to report a threatening comment made by Bendall during the fitting of his electronic curfew tag, where he stated he would murder his partner and children if their relationship deteriorated. Additionally, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was criticised for not documenting Bendall’s missed drug and alcohol treatment appointments, a condition of his suspended sentence.

The findings call for urgent reforms in offender management to protect vulnerable individuals from future harm.