Jason Bennett marks his fifth Christmas without children Lacey, 11, and John-Paul, 13, who were murdered by Damien Bendall in Killamarsh on September 18, 2021, along with Terri Harris and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11
Jason Bennett descends his staircase, the handrail cool to the touch with a Christmas Eve chill. For the fifth consecutive year, he refrains from calling out to his children or searching for their gift-wrapped presents nestled under the Christmas tree.
Instead, Jason makes his way to the mantelpiece. Where once there would have been carrots and milk, now rests a photograph of his daughter, Lacey, and son, John.
He tenderly kisses it in a specific pattern – a ritual he has maintained daily since their tragic and violent demise.
On the evening of 18 September 2021, Damien Bendall brutally murdered his pregnant partner, Terri Harris, and three children at a residence in Killamarsh, by bludgeoning them with a claw hammer. Terri, her daughter Lacey Bennett, aged 11, son John-Paul Bennett, aged 13, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, aged 11, were all declared dead at the scene.
But the act of killing them was not enough for Bendall. He sexually assaulted Lacey as she lay dying, and then violated her body a second time before fleeing the scene to trade “brave” John’s Xbox for drugs in Sheffield, reports Yorkshire Live.
Since their heartless murder, Jason has had to endure the “unthinkable”. He shared that the holiday season often triggers distressing memories, causing him to repeatedly relive his last phone call with his children – the night prior to their deaths.
“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 awakening the morning following their murders to discover a photograph of the property where Terri was residing circulating on social media. She refused to answer his calls, and the children remained unresponsive.
At 7pm, after being unable to look away from a grainy image of a white tent covering the house, Jason received a telephone call from police that devastated his world. The 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 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 detail of the festive day, particularly preparing Christmas dinner.
“Oh, how I loved to cook for them”, Jason revealed. “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.”
Following their tragic deaths, Jason has struggled with many activities – including preparing meals for his loved ones. Jason explained: “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.”
However, supported by “amazing people,” Jason pushed himself to continue as best he could in honour of his “wonderful” son and daughter. Jason reflected: “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 feels remarkably similar to winter: 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 return to his job, bolstered by an “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 conversation, Jason has dedicated the past few years to fundraising for the Youth Cancer Trust in Dorset – the very same charity his children had been selling sweets for before their lives were tragically cut short.
Having recently exceeded £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, Christmas will regain its festive spirit for him.
Until then, he shared with YorkshireLive his heartfelt ritual of kissing a worn-out photograph of his cherished children and reminiscing about “how lucky” he was to have celebrated “so many Christmases” with them: “I was – and still am – truly the luckiest father on earth to have had them.”
The monstrous Damien Bendall was given a whole-life sentence, which means he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars after confessing to the murders of Terri Harris, her children John Paul Bennett, Lacey Bennett and their friend Connie Gent, who was over for a sleepover. He also confessed to raping Lacey.
