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PURE EVIL
‘Kill him & end my life sentence’, says mum whose pregnant daughter & grandchildren were murdered by fiend at sleepover
Angie is still plagued by guilt and explains how she wishes she could've done more to save her family
FEW could imagine the pain and turmoil Angie Smith lives with every day after her pregnant daughter and two young grandchildren were murdered in a horrific act of evil.
Dubbed the 'sleepover killings', it was a crime that shocked the nation when Terri, 35, was brutally killed by her partner Damien Bendall, along with her two children, John-Paul, 13, his sister Lacey, and her friend Connie Gent, both 11.
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In December 2022, Bendall, aged 32, was sentenced to life in prison and is two years into his sentence at HM Prison Frankland in County Durham.
But grieving Angie is now reliving the horrors of that fateful day in September 2021 because in a cruel irony, sources say monster Bendall used a claw hammer - the same type of weapon he used to kill Angie’s loved ones - in an alleged attack on a prison inmate a few days ago.
Now, the 58-year-old grandmother says Bendall, who allegedly got his hands on the hammer in a prison workshop, should NOT be serving a life sentence for quadruple murder on taxpayers’ money - but should be sentenced to death instead.
She says: “Prison is too good for him. I'm also living a life sentence and if it was down to me, he’d have the death penalty as an end.
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“At the very least he should be in a cell on his own only allowed out to shower.
“He wouldn’t get meals and he wouldn’t mix with other prisoners.
“I wish it was him who’d been bludgeoned in jail because that's what he deserves.”
When Bendall came into her only daughter’s life just 18 months prior to the killings, Angie was so worried about her Terri's safety, she’d considered applying to police to find out if he had a history of domestic violence.
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But she decided against it because she feared the consequences for Terri should Bendall find out.
“I was terrified one day she’d be beaten up - I had no idea what he had in store,” says Angie, who lives in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, where the murders took place.
Chilling moment Damien Bendall tells cops 'I've murdered 4 people' after bludgeoning mum & 3 kids to death
“Now I live with that regret. But who could have predicted what he’d do? I knew he was unhinged but never imagined the horror that was to come.”
Young Connie was on a sleepover at the family's home when she too met her awful fate at the hands of Bendall who had been on a cannabis and cocaine binge.
Bendall was charged with four counts of murder and one of raping Terri’s daughter Lacey as her life ebbed away.
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He pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court and was sentenced to life in prison with a whole life tariff, meaning he'll die behind bars.
In the time leading up to the murder, Angie recalls how Terri had always been a tomboy but had changed when she started dating Bendall.
Angie says she began wearing tight shorts and low-cut tops and also changed her hair, dyeing it red.
Angie said she saw less of her daughter and Terri had stopped seeing friends. The gran was convinced Bendall was controlling her.
Prison is too good for him. If it was down to me, he’d have the death penalty
Angie Smith
Weeks before the killings, Bendall was given a suspended sentence for arson but he wasn't deemed to be a danger to Terri and her children.
However, at a later inquest held at Chesterfield Coroners Court following the four murders, the coroner heard how Damien had told an electronic monitoring service officer that he would ‘murder' his girlfriend and children, if their relationship ‘went bad.’
But no report was made by the probation officer.
“This was just one of a series of failings," Angie explains.
“Bendall had in fact violent offences dating back to 2004 including allegations of domestic abuse, which came out at the inquest.”
The probation service accepted 51 separate failings.
Angie, who said a "light has gone out of our lives", has spent three years coming to terms with her loss, which she says is a "life sentence".
Her anger was stirred when she received a call from the probation service following the prison attack on Friday.
She explains: “They told me there had been an incident involving Damien in prison. I asked for more information but they said they couldn’t tell me any more just that it was serious.
“I hoped it was something that had happened to him."
I was terrified one day she’d be beaten up - I had no idea what he had in store
Angie Smith
Angie was horrified to discover that Bendall had allegedly got hold of the same type of hammer which he used on Terri and the children and is said to have crushed a man’s skull leaving him for dead.
“Why on earth did a man as violent as him get hold of a claw hammer – the same weapon he’s used on my daughter and grandchildren and Lacey’s friend? It’s just another failing in the system,” she adds.
“I know Damien. I know what he’s like. I wish someone had attacked him but if they did they’d need to do it properly because if they didn’t, he’d get them back and finish them off.”
Angie now runs Terri’s Fight in her daughter’s name - a charity that gives out bags of necessities such as toiletries and other essentials to women fleeing domestic violence.
And since her loss, she has campaigned for relatives to be able to access information on partners they suspect may be domestic abusers more easily.
That law has now been amended – as part of Clare’s Law, a ruling which allows women to check a database to find out whether a partner has previous convictions for domestic violence.
Life after loss
If you’re struggling with loss after a bereavement, the outlines some important do’s and don’ts -
Do not try to do everything at once – set small targets that you can easily achieve.
Do try talking about your feelings to a friend, family member, health professional or counsellor or contact bereavement support organisation on 0808 808 1677.
Do not focus on the things you cannot change – focus your time and energy into helping yourself feel better.
Do try to tell yourself that you're alone – most people feel grief after a loss and support is available.
Do not try to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to relieve grief – these can all contribute to poor mental health.
Do consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other. Find out more about peer support on the website.
Angie hopes her work will continue to help close old wounds.
She adds: "The way my family died haunts me everyday. They were the most precious things in my life.
"The charity keeps me going - In Terri's memory, I will do all I can to help women and their families escape domestic abuse.”
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Durham Police said last night: “enquiries are still ongoing.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on a live police investigation but prisoners who are violent face tough punishments.”
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