Mourners line the streets for funeral of mother ‘murdered’ at sleepover
Mourners line the streets for funeral of mother ‘murdered’ at sleepover: Horse-drawn carriage carries coffin as family and friends say goodbye after she was killed alongside her two children, 11 and 13, and their friend, 11
Mourners packed the road outside St Giles Church in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, for the funeral of Terri HarrisThe West Ham fan had a blue and claret themed service with balloons outside in nod to her beloved HammersThe 35-year-old mum was found dead with her children John Paul Bennett, 13, and 11-year-old Lacey BennettDamien Bendall, 31, Ms Harris’ boyfriend, is charged with all four murders and has been remanded in custody
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
(function (src, d, tag){
var s = d.createElement(tag), prev = d.getElementsByTagName(tag)[0];
s.src = src;
prev.parentNode.insertBefore(s, prev);
}(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/1.17.0/async_bundle–.js”, document, “script”));
<!–
DM.loadCSS(“https://www.dailymail.co.uk/static/gunther/gunther-2159/video_bundle–.css”);
<!–
Mourners today watched on in tears as a horse and carriage carried the coffin of a mother who was allegedly killed with her two children and their friend at a sleepover.
Well wishers packed the streets outside St Giles Church in Killamarsh, on the outskirts of Sheffield, for the funeral of Terri Harris. The West Ham fan had a blue and claret themed service in a nod to her beloved team.
The 35-year-old was found dead with her children John Paul Bennett, 13, Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11, after the massacre last month.
Damien Bendall, Ms Harris’ boyfriend, is charged with all four murders and has been remanded in custody. The 31-year-old is due to stand trial in March.
Mourners today watched on in tears as a horse and carriage carried the coffin of a mother who was allegedly killed with her two children and their friend at a sleepover
Well wishers packed the streets outside St Giles Church in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, for the funeral of Terri Harris
Ms Harris’ coffin is carried into the church off the carriage after it passed through crowds on either side of the street today
The 35-year-old was found dead with her children John Paul Bennett, 13, Lacey Bennett, 11, and Lacey’s friend Connie Gent, 11, after the massacre last month
The West Ham supporter had a blue and claret themed service in a nod to her beloved team
The carriage was decorated in West Ham colours because Ms Harris supported the Hammers
Pictured: Terri Harris (left) and (right) with her children Lacey Bennett with John Paul Bennett
Pictured: Connie Gent, 11, was at a sleepover where she was found dead alongside friend Lacey, John and their mother Terri Harris
Ms Harris’ coffin was pulled through Killamarsh to St Giles Church in a white carriage pulled by two horses. Flowers were laid on top of it as well as on top of the casket while flowers were also put down outside the chapel.
The West Ham supporter had a blue and claret themed service in a nod to her beloved team. Mourners bowed their heads as the procession went by and many appeared to be sobbing.
One card read: ‘My lovely friend Terri, I will treasure the memories we made. May you and your babies rest in perfect peace.’ Two doves and blue and pink balloons were released at the end of the service.
Only close family and friends were able to attend the church service, but it was relayed on loudspeakers which could be heard within the church grounds.
The service was followed by a private cremation in nearby Chesterfield. Ms Harris, a care worker, was born in the east end of London where she lived until she was 17, when she moved to Sheffield with her mother.
Her family said she would regularly to Essex to spend time with her father.
Ms Harris’ coffin was pulled through Killamarsh to St Giles Church in a white carriage pulled by two horses
Flowers were laid on top of it as well as on top of the casket while flowers were also put down outside the chapel
One card read: ‘My lovely friend Terri, I will treasure the memories we made. May you and your babies rest in perfect peace’
Lacey Bennett (right), 11, and her 13-year-old brother John Paul (left) were both found dead alongside the bodies of their mother Terri Harris and their best friend 11-year-old Connie Gent
Pictured: Damien Bendall is next due to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on November 26
Ahead of his children’s funeral, Mr Bennett issued a plea to those planning to attend in a heartbreaking post on social media.
He wrote: ‘Me and my babies always used to sing a certain song in our car and belt it out like nothing else matters.
‘I’m trying to stay strong and while I’m carrying both my babies on my shoulders I’m determined to belt the song they love out loud as if we were in our car.
‘Sing along if you like and give me hope and strength and celebrate my beautiful happy babies.’
Below the post is the video for Never Enough from the movie musical The Greatest Showman with an additional note, adding: ‘Practice if you like…all my love to you all.’
In the wake of their deaths, the devastated father collapsed in tears as he laid flowers near the home where they were allegedly killed.
Mr Bennett stayed at the scene for more than half-an-hour, and said he was ‘heartbroken; million pieces; shattered’.
Jason Bennett, father of two children (pictured with Jason) who were killed during a sleepover massacre, has asked mourners to his children’s favourite song when they attend their funeral
In a statement, he said: ‘Life will never be the same again. Families have been left broken by the awful loss of John, Lacey, Terri and Connie.
‘I’ve been left broken. I’m devastated. John and Lacey came into our lives and brought so much love and happiness and were adored by myself and their big sisters, forever loved and remembered.
‘We would also like to thank everyone for their loving support and our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the tragic loss of four precious lives.’
Connie’s father Charles Gent said: ‘The pain is indescribable. I wake up every morning hoping this has all been a terrible nightmare, but it’s not. It’s the unbearable reality that my little girl has gone.
‘Connie was an absolute superstar in every way. She had a gift – if someone was down she could instantly make them feel okay.
‘She lit up every room she went in and meant something to everyone she came across, even in hard times. Connie had the ability to keep everyone smiling.
‘This by far is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through; it still doesn’t even feel real.
‘Fly safe my angel. They came for you and left me behind. I could never say goodbye, so I’ll see you soon. I love you more than you can possibly imagine forever and always.’
Pictured: Floral tributes left near to the scene in Chandos Crescent, Killamarsh, last month
Ms Harris’s parents, Angela Smith and Lawrence Harris, issued a joint statement through the police.
They said: ‘Our Terri, our daughter, our world, our everything. From the day she was born she was our princess and remained so until she was cruelly taken from us.
‘She was an amazing mum; her babies were her world. Terri would put herself out not just for her family and friends but anyone who needed her help.’
They added: ‘She absolutely loved her work as a care worker and would go above and beyond for the people she cared for.
‘She will be missed more than any words can ever express, not only by her family but by anyone who had the privilege to have been in her life.’
An inquest hearing into the four deaths was told all victims died as a result of a ‘violent attack’. Bendall is due to enter a plea to the charges at Nottingham Crown Court on November 26.
