A convicted neo-Nazi terrorist, who plotted to assassinate a Labour MP with a machete, has been left with severe facial injuries after a fellow prisoner attacked him with a makeshift blade inside one of Britain's most secure jails.
Vicious Assault in High-Security Prison
Jack Renshaw, 30, was slashed 'the length of his face' during a violent confrontation outside his cell at HMP Wakefield, a Category A men's prison in West Yorkshire. A source described the scene as bloody, stating Renshaw was 'lucky to survive' the assault which involved a prison-made 'shank' knife. Guards intervened to prevent further injury.
It is understood the attack was motivated by Renshaw's extreme far-right views and his notoriety as a white supremacist. The incident occurred just two months after another high-profile inmate, Lostprophets paedophile singer Ian Watkins, was murdered at the same facility.
A Life Sentence for Terrorism
Renshaw, from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years after pleading guilty to preparing acts of terrorism in 2019. His plot targeted Rosie Cooper, the Labour MP for West Lancashire.
His trial heard he intended to 'replicate' the 2016 murder of MP Jo Cox. He purchased a 19-inch replica Roman sword to carry out the killing. The plan was foiled when fellow extremist Robbie Mullen reported the threat to the anti-fascist organisation Hope Not Hate after Renshaw announced his intentions during a pub meeting in July 2017.
Mullen, who was granted immunity from prosecution, testified that Renshaw said he would kill the MP, take hostages, and lure a specific police officer to the scene. Renshaw also stated he would wear a fake suicide vest to ensure he was killed by police.
History of Hate and Grooming
Renshaw's extremist ideology was laid bare during his trials. In a separate 2018 case, he was convicted of stirring up racial hatred after criticising Adolf Hitler for showing 'mercy' to Jewish people and calling for genocide. He was jailed for 16 months for that offence.
Prior to the terrorist plot, Renshaw was also convicted of grooming two boys aged 13 and 15 using a fake Facebook profile. He was found guilty of four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
His descent into far-right extremism reportedly began when groups sought to exploit the case of missing Blackpool teenager Charlene Downes. He later ran the youth wing of the British National Party (BNP) and stood as a council candidate in Blackpool in 2014, receiving only 17 votes.
The attack on Renshaw underscores the ongoing tensions and violence within the UK's prison system, particularly involving high-profile inmates convicted of hate-fuelled and sexually motivated crimes.
