The Probation Service in England and Wales has made significant changes to its systems and processes following the murder of four people by Damien Bendall in Derbyshire in September 2021. Bendall, who was previously imprisoned, killed 35-year-old Terri Harris and her three children – 13-year-old John Paul Bennett, 11-year-old Lacey Bennett and Lacey’s friend, 11-year-old Connie Gent – using a claw hammer. The Probation Service was criticised for its handling of Bendall following his release, with an independent report stating that the service’s treatment was unacceptable and that critical opportunities to correct errors were missed.
Speaking at the inquest into the incident, Kim Thornden-Edwards, chief probation officer for England and Wales, admitted that the service had experienced “significant” problems when dealing with Bendall. However, she also stated that the agency had introduced numerous changes in an effort to prevent similar incidents from occurring. Thornden-Edwards accepted the report’s findings without reservation, telling the court that Bendall was assigned to an inexperienced staff member without adequate support.
The inquests also heard that probation staff based in both Swindon and Chesterfield had struggled with high workloads and stress. One inexperienced probation officer said that she had only been in her post for around five months before being incorrectly assigned Bendall’s case. Thornden-Edwards acknowledged that the Probation Service was facing disruptions and staffing gaps at the time of the incident and that caseloads and vacancies had been too high.
Changes to the Probation Service include the recruitment of new staff to address staffing shortages. The service also introduced a new model for probation services in June 2021, reversing incompatible changes that were made in 2014. Speaking about the changes, Thornden-Edwards said that probation staff had been anxious about them and that the system had been under considerable strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She stated that although preparations had been made for the changes, they were still a huge challenge for the agency, given the staffing issues it had faced.
Bendall was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders and rape of Lacey Bennett. The Probation Service’s report to a judge when he was sentenced for an arson offence in June 2021 omitted vital information about the risks that Bendall posed. This information, pertaining to his domestic abuse history and previous allegations of violence, was not included in the report and would have likely resulted in a curfew condition not being imposed
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