THE devastated dad of an 11-year-old girl who was killed during a sleepover at her friend’s home has broken down recalling their final hug.
Heartbroken Charlie Gent paid tribute to his “special baby girl”, Connie, and said it “should have been me rather than her.”
Connie was staying with pal Lacey Bennett, her brother John and mum Terri Harris when they were killed in a “violent attack” on September 19.
Their bodies were found by cops who rushed to the home at Killamarsh, Derbyshire, after receiving a call concerning the safety of a man.
Speaking to ITV, Connie’s dad urged other parents to value the time they have with their children.
He said: “Connie was one of the nicest girls you’ll ever meet. She was special, she could have been anything she wanted to be.
“I’d rather it be me than her, she had her whole life ahead of her.”
Asked if there was anything he could remember about his final day with his daughter, the grieving dad broke down saying: “Just how good she felt to hold and safe she made me feel.”
Charlie said Connie and her best friend Lacey were “inseparable” and that “sleepovers were always a thing” for the two friends so he had no concerns about her staying over.
The pair had spent their last day alive setting up a sweet stall to raise money for charity.
Charlie, who identified Connie’s body, added: “It’s your worst possible nightmare. Connie always had the ability to always make me smile.
“She was like my best friend. There are no words, I’m going to miss my baby girl.
“I’ve lost my absolute world. She was one in a hundred billion, there’s nobody like Connie.
“It’s the last thing you think is going to happen when your daughter is sleeping out, they’re just having a good time, aren’t they?
“There’s a million ways around you can try and change, or change the events leading up to it – but it will eat you alive to think of it.”
Harris’ partner Damien Bendall, 31, was arrested at the scene.
He was charged with four counts of murder and remanded in custody ahead of a trial scheduled for next spring.
The cause of death is still pending after post-mortem examinations were inconclusive.
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