A Swindon man has been charged with four counts of murder after a mother and three children were found dead in Derbyshire.
Police officers were called to an address in Killamarsh at around 7.30am on Sunday morning (19 September) following concerns raised about the welfare of a man.
On arrival, the bodies of 35-year-old Terri Harris, her two children, 11-year-old daughter Lacey Bennett and 13-year-old son John Paul Bennett, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, also 11, from Sheffield.
31-year-old Damien Bendall was arrested on suspicion of their murder before being rushed to hospital for what police say were self-inflicted injuries.
He has since been charged with four counts of murder and will appear at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court this morning.
For many years, Bendall lived in Cranmore Avenue, Park South, Swindon. He moved away but has relatives who live in the local community.
Speaking to media at the scene on Tuesday (21 September), Chief Constable Rachel Swann said: “This has been an understandably shocking event that has deeply affected the local community in Killamarsh, as well as Connie’s family and friends in Sheffield, and our thoughts are also with them.
“I would also like to state my thanks to those officers who arrived at the scene with such speed as well as colleagues from the East Midlands Ambulance Service who attended the incident. All acting with immense professionalism in such a difficult situation.
“While understandably worrying and upsetting this is believed to be an isolated incident in which those involved were known to one another and nobody else is being sought in connection with the deaths.
“The force did not have any prior contact with those involved.
“The man officers arrested at the scene, a 31-year-old from Killamarsh, remains in police custody on suspicion of the murders of Terri, Lacey, John Paul and Connie.
“A team of detectives have been working through the night to understand the circumstances that led to their deaths and I would urge anyone with any information to come forward.”
