A man has admitted killing a mother and three children whose bodies were found in a house in Derbyshire.

Damien Bendall pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 11-year-old Lacey Bennett, her brother John Paul Bennett, 13, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, also 11.

During an appearance at Derby Crown Court, Bendall entered the pleas while he denied the murder of all four victims.

The 32-year-old will face trial on 24 November over the murder charges and was remanded in custody until then.

The trial is expected to take three weeks.

The four were found dead at a house in Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh, near Sheffield, on 19 September 2021.

Bendall, of Chandos Crescent, allegedly murdered each victim on a day between 17-20 September.

He also pleaded not guilty to a charge alleging he raped Lacey last September.

Other details of the hearing cannot be reported for legal reasons.

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