Neo-Nazi who plotted to kill Labour MP ‘is left disfigured after vicious assault with makeshift knife’ at HMP Wakefield

A neo-Nazi who plotted to kill a Labour MP with a machete has been left disfigured after a fellow prisoner slashed ‘the length of his face’ with a makeshift knife.

White supremacist Jack Renshaw, who was handed a life sentence in 2019 over his plan to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper, is said to have been ‘striped’ during a vicious assault outside his cell at HMP Wakefield.

It is believed the 30-year-old was targeted because of his far-right views. 

At his trial it emerged that he had criticised Adolf Hitler for showing ‘mercy’ to Jewish people and had called for their genocide, leading to a conviction in 2018 for racial hatred. 

Renshaw also reportedly made a Nazi salute towards his supporters as he was led from the dock to his cell after his 2019 trial. 

A source told The Sun that Renshaw was ‘lucky to survive’ the attack.

‘He was slashed with a makeshift “shank” knife and left with a gaping wound running the length of his face.

‘There was blood everywhere. Guards rushed to the scene and stopped it being worse than it was — but it was already pretty bad.’

White supremacist Jack Renshaw, who plotted to kill a Labour MP with a machete, has been left disfigured after a fellow prisoner slashed ‘the length of his face’ with a makeshift knife

Renshaw said to have been ‘striped’ during a vicious assault outside his cell at HMP Wakefield

The attack comes just two months after Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, 48, was fatally stabbed in the neck at the same prison

Renshaw, of Skelmersdale, Lancashire, was given a minimum 20-year term after admitting preparing an act of terrorism. 

His trial had heard that Renshaw had wanted to ‘replicate’ the murder of Labour politician Jo Cox a year earlier in 2016. 

He purchased a 19-inch replica Roman sword to assassinate Rosie Cooper, but the plan was foiled by whistleblower Robbie Mullen, who was at a meeting in a pub when Renshaw announced he was going to kill the MP in July 2017.

After the pub meeting, Mr Mullen, from Widnes, Cheshire, reported the threat to Hope Not Hate and Renshaw was arrested.

Mr Mullen, who was granted immunity from prosecution, told jurors: ‘He said he was going to kill his local MP, Rosie Cooper. I said “Are you sure?” and he said “Yeah”.

‘He said he would kill her, then try to take some hostages to lure the police officer that was investigating him to try to kill her because she was the reason behind it all.

‘He said his mind was made up. He had bought a machete.’

Renshaw said he would wear a fake suicide vest so he would be killed by police, Mr Mullen added at the time.

The attack is said to have happened while Renshaw was outside his cell at HMP Wakefield

Renshaw was handed a life sentence in 2019 over his plan to murder Labour MP Rosie Cooper

Prior to the attack, the neo-Nazi had been jailed for trying to groom two underage boys – aged between 13 and 15 at time – using a fake Facebook profile.

He was jailed in June 2018 for 16 months after being found guilty of four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and for the grooming. 

The attack comes just two months after Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, 48, was fatally stabbed in the neck at the same prison. 

Prisoners Rashid Gedel, 25, and Samuel Dodsworth, 43 have appeared in court charged with the paedophile singer’s murder. 

Case of missing Blackpool girl sparked Renshaw’s far-right involvement

Charlene Downes (pictured above) went missing when she was 14-years-old

Jack Renshaw’s interest in far-right politics was ignited when extremist groups sought to exploit the case of missing 14-year-old girl Charlene Downes.

In 2007, a murder trial jury at Preston Crown Court was told of claims that Charlene’s body was chopped up and had ‘gone into kebabs’ after she disappeared in Renshaw’s home town of Blackpool in November 2003.

Charlene was said to be among a number of young white girls who gravitated to the resort’s takeaways to have sex with older men.

A takeway boss charged with murder and an associate who was accused of helping dispose of her body were formally acquitted after the jury failed to reach verdicts.

But both the British National Party and the English Defence League continued to exploit the case.

Former leader and then North West MEP Nick Griffin met Renshaw and invited him to take up a two-week work experience placement in Brussels, according to Renshaw.

He went on to run the youth wing of the BNP while he studied economics and politics at Manchester Metropolitan University and stood as a candidate for the party in a Blackpool council ward by-election in October 2014. He received 17 votes.

In 2007, a murder trial jury at Preston Crown Court (pictured above) was told of claims that Charlene’s body was chopped up and had ‘gone into kebabs’

As time went on Renshaw said his ‘political evolution’ led to him becoming an ‘outright nationalist socialist’ who thought Griffin was mistakenly trying to portray himself as moderate.

Details of Renshaw’s background emerged during two trials last year at Preston Crown Court where he was convicted of stirring up racial hatred and inciting two underage boys to engage in sexual activity.

During the latter trial he denied a sexual interest in children and said he had campaigned against child grooming since he was aged 14 and got involved in the ‘Justice for Charlene Downes’ cause.

Renshaw, 23, was born in Ormskirk and raised in Skelmersdale – which he described as ‘a very white town’ – but moved to Blackpool with his mother when she split from his father.

From 2015 to early 2017 he expressed his nationalist views on Facebook, Twitter and certain encrypted messaging apps.

Renshaw, 23, told jurors: ‘When we were contacting each other, nationalists, we like to keep our messages covert so we would use e-mail services such as Tutanota and Telegram.

‘We would use these so it would be harder for our opponents to find out about our plans and activities.’

Claiming he was a ‘principled nationalist’ who was currently not a member of any political organisation, he said: ‘I hold the same views but I don’t see any vehicle out there which works to express them.