Lee Nevins: murderer who killed disabled man in Gateshead absconds from prison for second time

A manhunt has been launched to catch convicted murderer Lee Nevins who has absconded from prison for the second time.

Nevins, 39, is currently serving a life sentence after he was found guilty of murdering a disabled man while high on alcohol and drugs.

He brutally battered Lee Jobling, 20, in his own home in an unprovoked attack on 8 April, 2006.

Nevins was jailed for life and had been serving at the top-security Frankland Prison, but just two years later he escaped after going to hospital with an injured hand in 2008.

Manhunt launched after Nevins absconded from open prison

He went on the run for several weeks before he was finally caught in Scotland. An investigation was highly critical of bungling prison staff.

Nevins was caught when Northumbria and Scottish police raided a house in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire.

Police have now launched a second manhunt after he absconded from HMP Sudbury open prison.

Nevins – who has a string of convictions for other violent attacks - was on temporary licence but failed to return to the category D prison in Derbyshire on Tuesday.

Derbyshire Police say he has links to Gateshead, Chester-le-Street, and Northumberland.

A statement from the force said: “Lee Nevins did not return after a period of leave on a temporary licence from the open prison on Tuesday 27 September.

“The 39-year-old was convicted in November 2006 for murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

“Anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact us quoting reference 22*563940.”

He is described as white, of slim build, around 6ft tall with short blonde hair and blue eyes.

He also has a tattoo of a Tasmanian Devil on his arm.

Victim’s aunt says ‘it’s an insult’

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “HMP Sudbury is working with police to recapture Lee Nevins quickly and on capture he faces longer behind bars.”

Mr Jobling’s aunt Angela Knotts, who raised him after the death of his mum, has blasted officials for allowing Nevins to escape for a second time and said his escape brought back the agony of her son’s murder.

She told ChronicleLive: “It’s an insult to Lee. I just feel as if he’s done this awful crime and he’s not faced up to what he’s done and thinks he should be free. It’s just horrible because you can’t think of anything else.”

Nevins killed Mr Jobling after gate-crashing a party he was having for friends at his home in Gateshead.

Nevins, along with his accomplice Mark Lang, forced their way into Mr Jobling’s flat where they mocked him for being disabled.

The pair then launched a frenzied attack on Mr Jobling who collapsed after being repeatedly punched and kicked in the head.

Nevins and Lang fled the scene leaving Mr Jobling lying unconscious and in a pool of blood in his flat.

Paramedics were called and rushed him to hospital but he died of his injuries three weeks later.

At his trial, which was held at Newcastle Crown Court in November 2006, Nevins was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years behind bars.