A shopkeeper once threatened with a knife by evil child-killer Damien Bendall says he is glad the murderer is now behind bars for life.
Narendra Patel defended himself with a golf club when now-notorious killer Damien Bendall tried to steal from his shop in Nythe, Swindon, back in August 2015.
Bendall landed three years imprisonment for the crime – but went on to commit more heinous acts.
On September 20, 2021, Bendall, 32, killed his pregnant partner along with three other children in his home in Killamarsh, Derbyshire.
The sickening attack saw him rape one of his partner’s children – Lacey, 11 – before killing her. In December, twisted Bendall – who used a claw hammer to smash his victims’ skulls – was sentenced to five life sentences.
And now, shopkeeper Narendra Patel, who escaped murderer-to-be Bendall’s wrath, has told how “glad” he is to see Bendall locked away for life.
Narendra said: “If he had the chance to get out, he would do it again.”
Reflecting on his early encounter with the killer, the shopkeeper said: “I remember when he came into the shop, walking around, looking outside the window and making phone calls.
“He was very tall and fit, I think he used to live around here. I knew he was going to try to steal something but I had a golf club under the counter and I was ready.
“He held a knife at me so I tried to hit him with the club but he bent down and ran away. The police could not find him but he did the same thing he did after the murders – called the police and surrendered himself.
“Perhaps he should have been kept in jail longer [for the attempted robbery].”
The shopkeeper said Bendall’s attempted robbery was one of just two in 21 years of him owning the newsagents.
Narendra added: “He is a very dangerous man who could do anything.”
