‘I used to be blinded and had eyes gouged out by beast ex-partner – he’ll kill if he is launched’

A mum who was brutally assaulted and blinded by her monstrous partner has been left in disbelief after he was transferred to a less secure prison and made another attempt at freedom.

Shane Jenkin, 45, horrifically gouged out Tina Nash’s eyes during a gruesome 12-hour attack at her home in Hayle, Cornwall, in 2011 while her children were present.

The mother of two was left blind and remembered feeling her face to find her eye hanging out of its socket, believing she was dead. Savage attacker Jenkin was sentenced to life imprisonment at Truro Crown Court in 2012, in what was labelled as one of the most severe cases of domestic abuse the UK has ever witnessed.

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Every two years, Jenkin has a parole hearing in an effort to gain freedom. This week, Tina, now 44, received a call informing her of the hearing and was shocked to learn he’d been moved to a lower security prison, with the possibility of being transferred to an even less secure one.

Tina said to the Daily Mirror: “I am living in fear of this beast turning up… but why should I be the one worried, why can I not live in peace? His eyes go black when he turns. He has no feelings, there is no empathy in him – he’s a monster. If he is released he will kill. It is as simple as that.”

Forced to give up her dream of training as a nurse, Tina has become a recluse and said that one of the few sources of solace for her came from knowing the man who nearly destroyed her was firmly behind bars.

She said: “There is no depth to the darkness I am forced to live in. It goes on for ever and it is around me for ever, it suffocates me.

“I feel abandoned by the system, alone, like I have been deceived. I am the one sat in the dark, suffering. He is in prison getting all the help he needs while I have to wait months just to see a counsellor.

“I have kept quiet about this for 10 years but I cannot any longer. I don’t particularly want to speak out but feel like I have to now because it feels like nobody is fighting my corner.”

At the time of the assault, Jenkin, then 33, had a record of violent criminal convictions; he fled after the incident but was apprehended two days later.

In addition to blinding her, he broke her nose and fractured her jaw. She described the aftermath of the attack as leaving her feeling “buried alive, claustrophobic and not in control of my life”.

She said: “It was a week short of a year before Shane decided to plead guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent. This delay I believe to be deliberate as Shane hoped I would give in and back out as I had done previously, and he was happy in the knowledge that he was still controlling my life by doing so.”

After 13 harrowing years, she’s yet to feel safe: “I don’t feel safe at all and because he’s got family and friends where I live I feel like I’ve got to walk away and live somewhere else.”

She also revealed the Parole Board has suggested her involvement in a new pilot scheme, allowing victims to be present during parole hearings of their attackers.

She mustered the courage to confront her abuser— at his parole hearing — for the first time since his conviction. Sadly, her hopes were dashed just two weeks before the meet when her request was turned down.

She said: “The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do is just be a mum and look after my kids and this has all just turned into a circus for me. That was the only thing that was keeping me going and I pride myself on being a good mum.”

In an update on Shane Jenkin’s case, the Parole Board reported that a hearing occurred on Tuesday, November 12, indicating that a decision should be expected within a fortnight of the oral hearing. Due to the ongoing nature of the judicial process, they could not provide further details.

Regarding the pilot programme, a spokesperson said the Ministry of Justice initiative currently underway in the South West and Greater Manchester offers a chance to witness ordinarily confidential parole deliberations. Nonetheless, it is ultimately up to the chairperson of the parole board panel to permit or deny victims’ attendance.

The Parole Board could not confirm why Tina’s plea was knocked back as the parole review is still underway. They clarified that the job falls to the prison service’s Victim Contact Scheme, not the Parole Board.

The Ministry of Justice said a victim did try to get a seat at the hearing, but got turned down by the panel chair. A spokesperson said: “All requests to observe hearings are subject to a decision by the chair of the panel hearing the case, including those where the victim resides in the pilot area.”

They added: “Victims are not provided with information as to which establishment a prisoner is being held in, so are not told if a transfer occurs. If a prisoner is transferred to open conditions, the victim would be advised but not given any detail of the prison.”

This means the only time Tina will get a heads-up is if Jenkin is moved to a Category D open prison.

If you have been affected by issues of domestic violence or coercive control you can call Refuge’s 24-Hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free. The number is 0808 2000 247

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