FEW could imagine the pain and turmoil Angie Smith lives with every day after her pregnant daughter and two grandchildren were murdered in a horrific act of evil.
In December 2022, Terri, 35, was brutally killed by her partner Damien Bendall, who was 32 at the time, along with her two children, John-Paul, 13, her sister Lacey, and her friend Connie Gent, both from 11 years.
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Bendall was sentenced to life in prison, but Angie is now reliving the horrors of that fateful day because, in a cruel irony, sources say the monster Bendall used a hammer – the same type of weapon he used to kill Angie’s loved ones – in an alleged attack. about an inmate at HM Prison Frankland, County Durham.
Now, in a moving plea to ease her pain, the 58-year-old married grandmother says Bendall, who allegedly got his hands on the hammer in a prison workshop, should NOT serve a life sentence for quadruple murder “of taxpayers”. money”, but he should be sentenced to death.
She says: “Prison is too good for him. If it were up to me, he would have the death penalty.
“At the very least, he should be alone in a cell, only being able to leave to take a shower.
“He did not receive meals and did not mix with other prisoners.
“I wish he was the one who got beaten up in prison because that’s what he deserves.”
When Bendall entered her only daughter’s life just 18 months before the murders, Angie was so worried about her Terri’s safety that she considered signing up for police to find out if he had history of domestic violence.
But she decided not to because she feared the consequences for Terri if Bendall found out.
“I was scared that one day she would be beaten up – I had no idea what he had in store,” says Angie, who lives in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, where the murders took place.
“Now I live with this regret. But who could have predicted what he would do? I knew he was upset, but I never imagined what Horror That was coming.”
O crime – dubbed the “slumber party murders” – took place in September 2021 and shocked the nation.
Young Connie was sleeping in the family home when she too met her terrible fate at the hands of Bendall, who was addicted to marijuana and cocaine.
Bendall was charged with four counts of murder and one count of raping Terri’s daughter, Lacey, as her life slipped away.
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He pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court and was sentenced to life in prison with a lifetime tariff, meaning he will die behind bars.
In the lead-up to the murder, Angie remembers how Terri was always a tomboy, but changed when she started dating Bendall.
Angie says she ‘started wearing tight shorts and low-cut tops’ and also changed her outfit hairdyeing it red.
Angie said she saw her daughter less and Terri stopped seeing her friends. The grandmother was convinced that Bendall was controlling her.
Prison is too good for him. If it were up to me, he would have the death penalty
Angie Smith
Weeks before the murders, Bendall was given a suspended sentence for arson, but was not considered a danger to Terri or 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 badly ‘.
But no report was made by the probation officer.
“This was just one of a series of failures,” explains Angie.
“Bendall did in fact commit violent crimes dating back to 2004, including allegations of domestic violence, which emerged in the inquest.”
The probation service accepted 51 separate failures.
Angie, who said “a light went out of our lives”, spent three years coming to terms with her loss.
Her anger grew when she received a call from the probation service following the prison attack on Friday.
She explains: “I was told there was 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 was hoping it was something that happened to him.”
I was scared that one day she would get a spanking – I had no idea what he had in store
Angie Smith
Angie was horrified to discover that Bendall allegedly took the same type of hammer he used on Terri and the children and allegedly crushed a man’s skull, leaving him for dead.
“Why Earth Could a man as violent as he was get a hammer – the same weapon he used against my daughter, my grandchildren and Lacey’s friend? It’s just another glitch 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 needed to do it correctly, because if they didn’t, he would get them back and finish them off.”
Angie now runs Terri’s Fight in her daughter’s name – a charity that distributes bags of essentials, such as toiletries and other essentials, to women fleeing domestic violence.
And since her loss, she has campaigned so that family members can more easily access information about partners they suspect are domestic abusers.
What law has now been changed – as part of Clare’s Law, a decision that allows women to query a database to find out whether a partner has previous convictions for domestic violence.
Life after loss
If you are experiencing loss after bereavement, the SNS website outlines some important dos and don’ts –
Don’t try to do everything at once – set small goals that you can easily achieve.
Try talking about your feelings with a friend, family member, healthcare professional or counselor, or contact a grief support organization cruise by phone 0808 808 1677.
Don’t focus on the things you can’t change – focus your time and energy on helping yourself feel better.
Try telling yourself that you are alone – most people feel sadness after a loss and there is support available.
Don’t try to use alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or drugs to ease your grief – all of these can contribute to mental health problems.
Consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other. Learn more about peer support at Mind website.
Angie hopes her work continues to help heal old wounds.
She adds: “The way my family died haunts me every day. They were the most precious things in my life.
“The charity keeps me going – in memory of Terri, I will do everything I can to help women and their families escape domestic violence.”
Durham Police said last night: “Enquiries are still ongoing.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We cannot comment on a live police investigation, but violent prisoners face harsh punishments.”
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
