Football match to remember murder victims

A charity football game is to be held in Sheffield to remember three children and a mother who were murdered.

Terri Harris, 35, her son John Bennett, 13, daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend Connie Gent were killed by Damien Bendall at a house in Killamarsh in September 2021.

The fundraising match is being played on Saturday at Sheffield Wednesday football club's community facility, Claywheels Lane.

The game will raise money for the Youth Cancer Trust, a cause which John and Lacey Bennett had supported.

Jason Bennett, John and Lacey's father, said the forthcoming fundraiser had helped him deal with being in a very dark place after the murders.

"I'm going to do this. I'm going to use my pain to try and do something positive out of something so tragic," he said.

"The last time I saw Lacey and John was on a video call. Their enthusiasm and passion for helping others shone brightly through the screen. They excitedly shared their experience of meeting a lady fundraising for the Youth Cancer Trust. They had taken it upon themselves to contribute, selling sweets.

"This day is not just about a football game - it's about continuing the incredible journey they started, making sure their spirits live on in a way that would make them proud."

The two teams, #adadforever Utd and Legends FC, will kick off at 14:00 BST.

Damien Bendall was convicted of the four murders in December 2022 and was given a whole-life order, meaning he will never be released from prison.

An inquest last year heard how, weeks before the murders, Bendall was given a suspended sentence for arson, which included a curfew requirement at Ms Harris' home after being deemed a low risk to partners and children.

At the inquest, a probation officer said she did not remember seeing information about domestic abuse allegations and concerns that Bendall posed a sexual risk to children.

A subsequent inquiry into Bendall's supervision by the Inspectorate of Probation found the assessment that he was suitable for a curfew was "dangerous and entirely inappropriate", and it was "extraordinary" that safeguarding checks were not carried out.