Bulldozers are set to demolish a notorious house of horrors where a man killed his pregnant partner and three children.
Damien Bendall, 32, is serving a whole life term after pleading guilty to killing Terri Harris, 35, daughter Lacey Bennett, 11, son John Paul Bennett, 13, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11.
North East Derbyshire District Council, which owns the property valued at roughly £100,000, decided to knock it down after tenants in the adjoining home asked to leave.
In its place will be a “fitting commemoration” to the family.
A spokesman said: “The past 15 months have been a very challenging time as so many have struggled to come to terms with what happened.
“The house is one of a pair of semi-detached properties. Following their request to be rehoused, we have been working hard to find the neighbouring family alternative accommodation and they have moved into their new home recently.
“Since these terrible events first unfolded, it has been our intention to demolish the house but we were unable to act on this due to the ongoing legal proceedings and the understandable sensitivities involved.
“Now that the case has been concluded and both properties are no longer occupied, we will be proceeding to demolish the properties in the New Year while also consulting further on what to do with the site and finding a fitting commemoration to remember the victims of this awful tragedy.”
Prosecutor Louis Malby KC told Derby Crown Court the victims had been subjected to a 'hideous, brutal and cruel attack.'
She said: "On the night of September 18 stretching into the early hours of Sunday the defendant brutally murdered Terri Harris, who was in the early stage of pregnancy.
"He also murdered Terri's two children by a previous partner. He also murdered Connie Gent, a friend of Lacey's who just happened to be staying at the house for a sleepover.
"The circumstances of the offences are truly hideous. These were brutal and cruel attacks on a woman and three children.
"The defendant attacked them using a claw hammer. He hit them with such ferocity that in essence their skulls were smashed in. It was perfectly clear none of the victims stood a chance.
“One of the dreadful facts about the case is that during the attacks the defendant raped 11-year-old Lacey. "
The court heard Bendall and Terri had met on a dating website about 18 months previously but had an 'unharmonious and deteriorating' relationship.
Bendall was a well-known criminal, a heavy drug user and also 'showed interest in other women' but Terri told her mum she still intended to marry him.
On the day of the depraved attacks, the children had put up a stall outside the house selling sweets to raise money for Cancer Research.
