SOLVEDListenDuckmanton, Derbyshire, England · 2020s
Killing of Gracie Spinks
Gracie Spinks was a swimming instructor and lifeguard from Old Whittington who, at the time of her death, was working as a warehouse operative.
What happened
On the evening of 18 September 2021, Damien Bendall killed four people at a residential property on Chandos Crescent in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, an outer suburb of Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The victims were his partner Terri Harris, who was pregnant, her two children Lacey and John-Paul Bennett, and Lacey's friend Connie Gent, who was staying overnight for a sleepover. Based on phone evidence, prosecutors estimated the killings occurred shortly after 21:42, at a time when the children were preparing for bed and Bendall was attempting to contact a drug dealer for cocaine. Bendall killed all four victims by striking them with a claw hammer. He also raped Lacey as she was dying from her head injuries, and raped her again afterward. He then ordered a taxi and travelled to Sheffield, where he exchanged one of the victim's Xbox consoles for drugs.
The following morning, at 07:26 on 19 September 2021, Derbyshire Constabulary officers responded to reports of a disturbance at the property. Bendall had also called 999 himself, stating he needed police and an ambulance because he had killed four people. Officers arrived at 07:39 and found Bendall outside the property with self-inflicted stab wounds to his chest and stomach, caused by a bread knife. Bendall told officers he knew he would "be going to prison again," and when asked what he had done, responded, "I've murdered four people." Officers then entered the property and found the victims' remains. Bendall was arrested on suspicion of murder.
On 22 September 2021, Bendall was charged with four counts of murder and, later, with the rape of a girl under 13 in connection with the incident. He admitted all charges. On 21 December 2022, Mr Justice Sweeney sentenced Bendall to a whole-life prison term.
On 20 September 2021, around 300 people, including family members of the victims, attended a community vigil in honour of those killed. Because Bendall had been on probation at the time of the murders — due to an unrelated arson incident — HM Inspectorate of Probation conducted a Serious Further Offence review into how the National Probation Service had managed his case. That review, along with a separate coroner's report, raised concerns about inadequate child safeguarding and domestic abuse checks, inexperienced staff, and a failure by senior staff to pass on information to reviewing officers that indicated the serious danger Bendall posed to the public.
On 21 July 2023, the property where the murders took place was demolished along with the neighbouring property, on the orders of North East Derbyshire District Council, following consultation with local residents and relatives of the victims.
