Football match in Sheffield to remember the victims of the Killamarsh murder

A charity football match will be held in Sheffield to remember three children and a mother who were killed.

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

The fundraising match is played at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club’s Claywheels Lane community center on Saturday.

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

Jason Bennett, father of John and Lacey, said the upcoming fundraiser has helped him cope in a very dark place after the murders.

“I’m going to do that. I’m going to use my pain to try to make 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 on screen. They enthusiastically shared their experience of meeting a fundraising lady for the Youth Cancer Trust. to contribute by selling sweets.

“This day isn’t just about a football game – it’s about continuing the incredible journey they’ve started, making sure their spirits live on in a way that makes them proud.”

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

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

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

A subsequent inquiry into Bendall’s supervision by the Inspectorate of Probation found that the assessment that he was suitable for a curfew was “dangerous and wholly inappropriate” and it was “extraordinary” that no safeguarding checks had been carried out.