Dad of youngsters murdered at sleepover says ‘Christmas won’t ever be the identical’
Jason Bennett has been living in a nightmare ever since his two children Lacey, 11 and John-Paul, 13 were brutally murdered along with their mum by monster, Damien Bendall
For the fifth consecutive Christmas, Jason Bennett doesn’t summon his children, nor does he search for their gift-wrapped presents nestled under the tree. Instead, he makes his way to his mantelpiece where once there would have been carrots and milk.
But now there’s only photographs of his daughter, Lacey, and son, John during happier times. He plants a gentle kiss on it – the same ritual he has performed every day since their tragic and savage murders.
On the night of 18 September 2021, Damien Bendall brutally murdered his pregnant partner, Terri Harris, and three children in a house in Killamarsh, bludgeoning them with a claw hammer. Terri, her daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, son John-Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, also 11, were all declared dead at the scene.
But the act of killing them wasn’t enough for Bendall. He sexually assaulted Lacey as she lay dying, and then violated her body again before fleeing the scene to trade “brave” John’s Xbox for drugs in Sheffield, reports Yorkshire Live.
Since this heartless murder, Jason has had to endure the “unthinkable”. He shared that the holiday season often triggers painful memories, causing him to replay his last phone call with his children – the night before they were killed – repeatedly in his mind.
“I was on holiday down in Devon,” he said. “The evening before, I missed my daughter’s video call, but I rang her back, and I am so glad I did. The kids wanted to show me what they had spent their pocket money on.
“Lacey showed me that she and Connie had set up a stall, selling sweets to raise money for charity, and John had looked so proud of what they had done.”
Jason recalls waking the next morning following their brutal killing to discover a photograph of the residence where Terri was residing circulating on social media. She refused to answer his telephone calls, and the youngsters remained silent.
At 7pm, having been unable to drag himself away from a grainy image of a white tent covering the house, Jason received a devastating phone call from police that destroyed his world. The shocking news left Jason “crumpling” to his knees, wailing and weeping for his precious “angels”.
Now enduring his fifth winter without his cherished family, Jason explained that in many respects, Christmas “died” alongside his children that fateful day. Jason said: “The first Christmas without them – because of all the pain and investigations – meant nothing to me. I couldn’t stop thinking about them; What I would have gotten them as presents or what games we would have played. I just wanted to die.”
Jason used to relish every little detail of the festive day, particularly whipping up the Christmas Dinner.
“Oh, how I loved to cook for them”, Jason reminisced. “Christmas was everything. From just waking up and hearing them in the next room, to opening gifts. I cooked every Christmas Dinner, and I would make sure to buy presents that we could all join in with – whether it was games or bits for the TV.”
However, since their tragic passing, Jason has refrained from many activities, including cooking for his family. Jason confessed: “Those first two years were horrendous. I didn’t leave the house, I didn’t go to work, and I didn’t even want to live. I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted to be with them.”
Yet, bolstered by the support of “amazing people,” Jason pushed himself to continue as best he could in honour of his “wonderful” son and daughter. Jason admitted: “Of course it’s difficult – especially when I am not talking about them of my own accord. Sometimes someone will bring them up, and the grief catches me off guard. But I have promised myself that each week, I will do a bit more and a bit more.
“I have my rituals, too. Like kissing their photo; it’s in tatters, but I don’t care. Around Christmas time – because it would have been John’s birthday – we lay flowers where they had their funeral.”
For Jason, recalling his children bears an uncanny resemblance to winter itself: harsh and sorrowful, yet strangely peaceful and treasured.
Jason reflected: “To sweet Lacey, butter wouldn’t have melted. She was so polite and kind – they both were. She reminds me so much of myself. We would always play-fight and occasionally tease John, but we all got on so well.
“John would pretend to be this fiery lad, but deep down, he was loving and sensitive. He was funny – they both were. We had so many laughs together.”
In time, Jason managed to get back to his job, bolstered by a “wonderful” circle of his dearest friends and relatives.
Jason explained: “It’s difficult to fit in when you are feeling so fragile, and getting back to whatever ‘reality’ is, is tricky. But you can’t walk around looking miserable, and you really end up meeting lovely people eventually. Life takes on a new normal – not better, just different.”
Honouring their final chat together, Jason has dedicated recent years to fundraising for the Youth Cancer Trust in Dorset – the very same charity his children had been selling sweets for all those months ago.
Having recently topped £78,000, Jason’s endeavours have featured three charity football matches – the most recent taking place on Sheffield Wednesday’s pitch earlier this year. As the years roll on, Jason clings to the hope that one day, December 25 will bring back the magic of Christmas once more.
Until that moment arrives, Jason confided to YorkshireLive with heartfelt sincerity that he would carry on kissing the worn photograph of his cherished children and treasure the memories of “how lucky” he was to have enjoyed “so many Christmases” with them: “I was – and still am – truly the luckiest father on earth to have had them.”
Evil Damien Bendall received a whole-life tariff, condemning him to die behind bars after he confessed to murdering Terri Harris, her children John Paul Bennett, Lacey Bennett and her mate Connie Gent, who was staying for a sleepover.
He also admitted raping Lacey.
