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Calls for eye-gouger's prison move to be reviewed

Ben Woolvin
BBC South West home affairs correspondent
George Thorpe
BBC News, South West
BBC Tina Nash wearing a white cardigan and a yellow gingham shirt sits at a park bench with MP Andrew George who is wearing a grey suit. He is holding some pieces of paper in his hands. A fence to the side of them has ivy growing on it.BBC
Andrew George said he would raise the case involving Tina Nash's attacker with the justice secretary

An MP wants a decision to move a prisoner, convicted of gouging his ex-partner's eyes out, to an open prison to be reviewed.

Andrew George, Liberal Democrat MP for St Ives, said a decision to move Shane Jenkin out of a closed prison was "totally unacceptable" and he would be writing to Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.

Jenkin, 45, of Sea Lane, Hayle, in Cornwall was jailed for life with a minimum term of six years in 2012 after he blinded Tina Nash while holding her hostage for 12 hours in April 2011.

A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesperson said "robust risk assessments" would have been carried out before moving Jenkin to an open prison.

Jenkin, who admitted grievous bodily harm, also strangled Ms Nash and broke her nose and jaw, and gouged her eyes out while holding her hostage.

He was moved to an open prison in March, which means he can leave for short periods of time under licence to take part in paid or unpaid work or to see relatives who are seriously ill.

PA Media Tina Nash wearing a thin white cardigan and a yellow and blue dress holds the arm of a female police officer who is wearing a black blazer and white shirt. They are stood outside a grey pebble-dashed building.PA Media
Tina Nash (right) had her eyes gouged out by ex-partner Shane Jenkin while he held her hostage for 12 hours

Ms Nash, 44, said she was "really scared" about her former partner being moved to an open prison and the attack had ruined her life.

Mr George, who is Ms Nash's local MP, said the situation involving Jenkin's move was "appalling" and should have not have been allowed to happen.

"It's completely unacceptable and places Tina in a position where she lives a life of fear," he added.

"She doesn't know what is happening, she doesn't know whether he [Jenkin] can walk out of that prison and stalk her."

Devon and Cornwall Police Police mugshot of Shane Jenkin following his arrest. He has a stern look on his face is has stubble.Devon and Cornwall Police
Shane Jenkin was moved to an open prison in March

The MoJ said the crimes committed against Ms Nash were "horrific" and the ministry's thoughts remained with her.

It added it would send an inmate back to a closed prison if they broke rules enforced on them.

An MoJ spokesperson said: "All prisoners, including those serving life sentences, must pass a robust risk assessment before any move to open conditions and we do not hesitate to move them back to closed prisons if they break the rules."

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