Christopher Jenkins slashed his friend, Kyle Janes, across the face with a knife after a day spent drinking beer and taking Valium on Swansea beach. During the day, the two had an argument about which of them a girl fancied the most, which resulted in them fighting on the street. Jenkins has a history of violent behavior dating back to his youth, including a previous conviction for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, for which he was given an extended sentence as a dangerous offender.
According to Megan Jones, the prosecutor, Jenkins, Mr. Janes, and another man spent the day on Swansea beach drinking 48 bottles of Corona lager while also taking Valium tablets and smoking cannabis. Later, the trio went to Jenkins’ flat in the Mount Pleasant area of the city, but the third male left, leaving Jenkins and Mr. Janes alone.
The court heard that an argument erupted between the two men over a female’s reaction to photographs Mr. Janes took of them, which he shared with a woman on Snapchat. The argument escalated, and the pair left the flat to fight outside. Jenkins armed himself with a small kitchen knife as he left the flat. A shirtless Mr. Janes punched his friend in the face several times before Jenkins slashed him with the knife.
Police officers leaving Swansea Central police station were approached by a man “bleeding profusely” from a face wound just after midnight. Mr. Janes, who was injured, told officers he had been slashed at a friend’s flat but was reluctant to give details, saying the flat was “up the hill.” The victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance, and he subsequently disclosed the name of his attacker to paramedics, saying there had been an argument about a female they had “both been involved with.” Jenkins was arrested and initially claimed that Mr. Janes had punched him in the face, leading him to slash him. However, he later gave a “no comment” interview to police.
In an impact statement read to the court, Mr. Janes said that he was aware of the scar on his cheek caused by the defendant and of how people interacted with him when they saw it. He stated that people now regarded him as “some sort of wild animal.” The assault caused him to lose faith in people, he said, adding, “If a so-called friend can do this to me, what can a stranger do to me?”
Christopher Lee Jenkins, of Mount Pleasant hill, Mount Pleasant, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent when he appeared in court for sentencing. Jenkins has 16 previous convictions for 24 offenses, six of which involve violence. Two of the assaults are assaults occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), one of which he committed at a school in Bridgend when he was 14 years old. Two are GBHs, one of which is GBH with intent in 2009. This offense resulted in the defendant receiving an extended seven-year sentence as a dangerous offender. Jenkins’ most recent conviction, from June of last year, is for possession of an extendable baton in a private place.
Karl Williams, Jenkins’ lawyer, said that “an extreme amount of alcohol” had been consumed by both parties to the incident, along with a number of Valium tablets having been taken and cannabis cigarettes smoked. He said that Mr. Janes had removed his top for a fight and had punched the defendant, who had then reacted.
Judge Huw Rees said that the defendant and Mr. Janes had spent the day drinking before a “silly argument” developed over the “attentions of a girl,” which turned into a physical fight. He added that Jenkins had then slashed his victim across the face with a kitchen knife, leaving a four-inch scar from the corner of the mouth across the right cheek. Judge Rees acknowledged that Jenkins was remorseful for his actions in the sober light of day, but he noted that the defendant had an “appalling history of violence,” and that a finding of dangerousness had been made previously.
The judge said that on the guidelines, the appropriate sentence after trial would have been one of nine years in prison, which was reduced to eight years and one month due to the defendant’s guilty plea. However, Judge Rees said he had carefully read the pre-sentence report and its conclusion that Jenkins posed a high risk of causing serious harm. He said he was satisfied that a standard determinate sentence was not sufficient to protect the public.
Jenkins was given a 12-year and one-month extended sentence comprising eight years and one month in custody followed by a four-year extended license period. The defendant can apply for release after serving two-thirds of the custodial element of his sentence, but it will be up to the Parole Board to determine if he is safe to be released and what conditions should be attached to any release.
»Man slashes friend’s face with knife after drinking and taking Valium on Swansea beach.«
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