The circumstances of the horrific murders of a pregnant mother, her two children and their friend in a house in Killamarsh near Sheffield have emerged for the first time as killer Damien Bendall awaits sentence.

Bendall, 32, this morning admitted murdering partner Terri Harris, 35, her son John Paul Bennett, 13, daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, and sleepover guest Connie Gent, 11, with a claw hammer.

Each victim was tracked down in a different part of the house and killed before Bendall, 32, took a taxi from the scene to sell John’s Xbox for drugs in Sheffield, telling the driver he had spent the evening ‘chilling with the family’. He had been in a relationship with pregnant Terri Harris since 2020 and had met her on a dating site.

In a police interview after his arrest, Damien Bendall told officers: “The whole house is covered in claret. I used the hammer. I didn’t realise what I did until I walked into my room and saw my missus and my daughter.”

Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Damien Bendall appearing at Derby Crown Court

He then added: “Bet you don’t usually get four murders in Killamarsh do you – well, five (murders), because my missus was having a baby.”

He also raped Lacey as she lay dying from head injuries at the house on Chandos Crescent.

Louis Mably KC, prosecuting, told Derby Crown Court: “The circumstances of these offences are truly hideous and dreadful. These were brutal, vicious and cruel attacks on a defenceless woman and three young children. The defendant attacked them using a claw hammer which he used to hit them over the head and on the upper body.

“The attacks were of such ferocity, in essence their skulls were smashed in and in the case of one of the children, 11-year-old Lacey, parts of her brain matter were found on the living-room floor. It was perfectly clear none of the victims stood a chance.”

Vanessa Marshall KC, defending, said her client, who has maintained having no memory of the event, agreed he should be handed a whole life sentence.

She said: “His actions that night remain largely inexplicable and motiveless.”

She added that he had been “happy” about the forthcoming pregnancy, which would have been Bendall’s first child.

“The defendant hopes the knowledge he will be spending a full whole life sentence behind bars for the rest of his life, where every day he is having to confront the demons of his actions, will provide some justice to these families,” the lawyer said.

The court heard that Bendall, who had previous convictions for robbery, attempted robbery and grievous bodily harm had carried out the rape and murders while on a 24-month suspended sentence handed down at Swindon Crown Court in June 2021 for arson of a car he had tried to steal.

Mr Justice Sweeney said he would consider legal submissions and sentence Bendall later on Wednesday.

Killamarsh murders: Victim's boyfriend Damien Bendall killed her and three children in claw hammer rampage - then sold Xbox for drugs