Halfords worker suffers stroke after attack by shoplifters then 'gets blamed'
A Halfords store manager is taking legal action after he was attacked by shoplifters and suffered a stroke.
Marty Scott was booted in the head and chest by thugs as he tried to stop them stealing, but bosses are allegedly blaming him, saying taking such action is against store policy.
And despite there being CCTV of the alleged assault at the branch in Stockton, Co Durham, no arrests have been made two years on - with the CPS confirming no further action will be taken. The 57-year-old dad has worked for the company for 40 years, but could not return to his job due to the injuries suffered.
Marty now often struggles with basic cognitive functions and is struck by bouts of depression and anxiety. Scans have also shown he has a brain aneurism. Halfords initially offered him just £16,000 in compensation, which was eventually upped to £20,000 but Marty rejected both. He says he was told the "root cause" of the issue had been his attempts to stop the two men.
Kim and Martin have a young family to support (Kim Scott)The firm's lawyers told the Sun: “It is company policy not to attempt to retrieve stock or aggravate the situation and the claimant went directly against this policy, placing himself and potentially others at risk.”
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Marty's wife Kim, 51, told the news outlet the way her husband has been treated by his former employers is "appalling", adding that shoplifting is "out of control". She said: "This is what happens when someone tries to stop these people helping themselves."
Weeks before the attack, Marty had expressed his fears of the increased danger faced by him and colleagues from shoplifters and called for security to be increased. He told his bosses in writing he was worried "sooner or later a colleague is going to get hurt".
Marty's brother-in-law Cliff Dalton set up a GoFundMe page to help support the family. Describing the incident, he wrote: "Marty initially asked the men to just leave his shop, but they wouldn't. Instead they turned on him when he tried to usher them both out and retrieve some stolen goods that one of them brazenly put in his jacket pocket.
Martin suffered a stroke and has ongoing health problems (Kim Scott)"For this action alone, Marty was wrestled to the floor by them both (while still in the shop) and kicked in the chest while on the floor. He was then kicked in the head as he tried to stand back up. The incident was caught on CCTV in-store and it shows very clearly that if not for the intervention of a couple of good Samaritan customers in the shop at the time, chasing them off premises, Marty may well not have walked away at all from the incident.
"But Marty's physical injuries from this attack were still severe. Two days after it took place he suffered a stroke to add to his more obvious physical injuries, while at an emotional level he struggled to even comprehend what had happened. Now, two years on, Marty suffers with PTSD; he has trouble with basic cognitive functions, frequently forgets about things that he has done or conversations he has just had.
"He is prone to bouts of depression, anxiety, confusion and mood swings. Further scans have since shown that Marty also has a brain aneurism, so his future health prospects remain most unclear on many fronts. What is clear, though - is that he is not the same husband, father, person, since this attack."
He went on to say: "Marty has a 9 year old son who doesn't understand what has happened to his dad while his wife (my sister), who as an A&E nurse in the NHS, is now having to work extra shifts to keep the whole family afloat. They are all destined to be affected by this mindless attack for the rest of their lives."
A Halfords spokesperson told TeessideLive previously: "This is a complex and long running case. Throughout Martin’s absence we provided support including regular welfare meetings and counselling. We also extended Martin’s company sickness entitlement. When it was confirmed that there was no prospect of Martin returning to work we followed our correct process. We have endeavoured to be supportive and considerate throughout.”
A CPS Spokesperson said: “In August last year, we received a file of police from Cleveland Police in relation to two suspects alleged to have committed offences in the Halfords store in Stockton. At that time, there was no admissible evidence made available to us that would positively identify either of these men as having carried out the offences. In July of this year, this evidence had still not been received and we took the appropriate decision to authorise no further action against either suspect.”
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