WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT – Tina Nash lost her eyesight 13 years ago when her violent and abusive ex Shane Jenkin attacked her and said: “It’s all your fault”
A woman who was attacked by her violent partner was subjected to 12 hours of torture, during which the abuse thug gouged out both her eyes. Tina Nash, 44, was left blind from the attack, meaning she has not been able to see her children’s faces for 13 years.
In April 2011, just five weeks after being released from prison for breaching a restraining order and assaulting Tina, her boyfriend Shane Jenkin promised her a fresh start. However, one evening, Tina overheard him offering prescription sleeping pills to a neighbour. Concerned, she gave him a look of disapproval before heading to bed.
Her next memory was waking up to find herself partially clothed, with Jenkin on top of her and his hands around her neck. Police later concluded that Jenkin had strangled her into unconsciousness with the intention of gouging out her eyes.
‘My psychopath ex who gouged out my eyes is about to be let out – and he’ll strike again’
In addition to this, he broke her nose and jaw during the attack. Tina recalled the horrific experience, telling MailOnline: “He was trying to kill me. I was making weird guttural noises and passing in and out of consciousness.”
Despite the brutal assault, Tina managed to temporarily escape his grip. In a desperate attempt to calm him, she told him, “Shane, I’m sorry, I love you.” Jenkin’s chilling response was: “Your eyes are hanging out of your head. You’re blind. You’re never going to see your kids again, and it’s all your fault.”
It was at that moment that Tina realised she couldn’t see. She broke down as she recalled: “I brought my hand up to my cheek and my eyeball was hanging down…”
Jenkin then dragged Tina to a bath filled with cold water, where shock had initially numbed the pain. As her body began to register the injury, it felt as though her eyes were being pierced with red-hot pokers.
Jenkin continued to blame her for the assault, claiming that if she hadn’t argued with him, none of it would have happened.
He kept her imprisoned in the living room overnight, forcing her to remain quiet so as not to wake their children upstairs. The following morning, Jenkin allowed her to contact Liam’s father, who rushed to her aid. Jenkin fled the scene but was arrested four days later.
Tina was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital, where she spent three weeks recovering. Doctors found that the force of Jenkin’s attack was so severe that his nail marks were visible in her eye sockets. Her left eye was immediately removed, and it would take months before doctors confirmed that she would never regain sight in her right eye.
Truro Crown Court heard it was one of the worst cases of domestic abuse the UK had ever seen.
Thirteen years on, Tina is now fearing for her safety as her abusive ex is about to be released from jail.
She believes the first thing Jenkin is going to do is “come straight for her” once he is allowed out of prison. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of six years in April 2012 but, after some time in high-security jails and psychiatric hospitals, he was moved to an open prison – often used to prepare prisoners for release.
And now, as early as this summer, the 45-year-old thug will be allowed to walk the streets unsupervised, look for work and visit family.
“I’m terrified. He could be stood right behind me in a shop and I wouldn’t have a clue because he blinded me. I know he wishes he’d killed me that night because then there would have been no witnesses,” Tina said.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk
