Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Behind bars - the bully deemed a danger to women
Latest attack left girlfriend with facial scars
A vicious thug smashed a kettle and beer cans into his girlfriend’s face in a sustained act of “gratuitous degradation”.
Bully Anthony Jenkins also poured lager over her head and spat in her face as she started to scream during the attack at her Canterbury home.
Now, the 34-year-old from Medway has been jailed for six years after leaving his victim with permanent facial scarring.
Violent Jenkins has previously been locked up for breaking a former partner’s jaw, robbery and controlling and coercive behaviour.
Prosecutor Ben Irwin told Canterbury Crown Court how Jenkins punched and repeatedly spat in his girlfriend’s face as she pleaded for him to stop.
But instead he opened cans of beer and poured them over her head while simultaneously using them as weapons to strike her with.
When she picked up a kettle to help defend herself Jenkins wrenched it from her and used it to deliver a final blow.
He only stopped when his victim screamed: “What have you done? How could you do this to me?”
She had cuts over her face and an “extensive injury to her eye,” Mr Irwin explained.
She also suffered numerous cuts and bruises to her face, including a “deep laceration” to her forehead and “very large gash to her right eyebrow”.
The barrister explained it was impossible to know the ongoing extent of her injuries following Jenkins’ “gratuitous degradation”, as she hasn’t updated the police.
When a neighbour dialled 999 after hearing her screams, Jen
kins was arrested and made threats to kill one officer.
He also threatened to rape an officer’s wife, kill his mother and kidnap his daughter before giving a “no comment” police interview.
The abuser, who has 14 previous convictions for 24 offences, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, making threats to kill and breaching a restraining order.
The order had been made previously to protect the same victim after Jenkins was convicted of controlling and coercive behaviour.
He also has convictions for robbery, harassment and an incident of unlawful wounding, in which he fractured a former partner’s jaw.
Jenkins is at “a high risk of causing serious harm to others”, according to reports read in court.
Handing down an extended sentence, Judge James called the attack “sustained and repeated”, while highlighting Jenkins’ propensity towards violence against women.
Phil Rowley, mitigating, explained Jenkins’ offending is linked to alcohol abuse.
“He understands that if he isn’t going to engage in similar behaviour he must address his alcohol use,” he said.
Jenkins, of no fixed abode, will be held for two thirds of his term before the parole board will consider him safe enough for release, then a further two years on licence.