Home / Crime and Justice / Killer's New Sentence: Hammer Attack in Prison
Killer's New Sentence: Hammer Attack in Prison
23 Feb
Summary
- Bendall attacked an inmate with a hammer in prison.
- He already serves a whole-life sentence for murder.
- The victim suffered skull fractures and brain bleeding.
Damien Bendall, currently serving a whole-life sentence for the 2021 murders of his pregnant partner and her three children, has been sentenced to an additional term for a violent hammer attack. The incident took place in May 2024 at HMP Frankland, where Bendall assaulted another inmate, Michael Mullaney, with a claw hammer. The court heard that Bendall struck Mullaney four times on the head without warning.
The victim fell unconscious and received further blows, prompting a prison officer to intervene. Mullaney was treated for depressed skull fractures and bleeding on the brain, suffering ongoing anxiety and sleep difficulties as a result. Bendall's defense stated he feared his mental health was deteriorating and sought a transfer to a segregation unit.
Judge Francis Laird KC emphasized the severity of the attack, aggravated by Bendall's previous offenses and the prison setting. He stated that Bendall would never be released, extending his punishment for the attempted murder of Mullaney. Bendall's prior convictions include the murders in Killamarsh, Derbyshire.
