A man has appeared in court charged with the murders of a mother and three children.

Damien Bendall, 31, is accused of raping and murdering 11-year-old Lacey Bennett, as well as allegedly killing her brother John, 13, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11.

The charges come after four bodies were discovered at a house in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on September 19.

Bendall appeared in person at Derby Crown Court where he was not required to enter any pleas to the charges.

Wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and a white face mask, the defendant was surrounded by five dock officers during the short hearing.

The murder charges allege he killed all four on a day between Friday September 17 and Monday September 20.

An inquest opening at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court previously heard the four died as a result of a ‘violent attack’.

The coroner’s court also heard how a relative of Bendall had phoned police to say the defendant had suffered a self-inflicted stab wound.

Judge Nirmal Shant QC remanded Bendall, of Chandos Crescent, back into custody to appear at the same court for a plea hearing on January 18.

He is due to stand trial on March 1 this year.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article