‘I need to get my life back’: Emotional Halfords manager horrifically attacked by shoplifters reveals devastating toll of assault after he was left with life-changing injury
A Halfords manager left with life-changing injuries after a horrific attack by shoplifters said his little boy ‘can’t understand what’s happened to his dad’ as he revealed the devastating effects the assault has had on his life.
Marty Scott, 57, suffered a stroke shortly after he was kicked in the head during the brutal attack by two thieves he was trying to stop from fleeing the store in Stockton, County Durham.
He has been unable to go back to work because of his injuries but said in an emotionally-charged interview he needs to get his ‘life back’.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain with his wife Kim, Marty said life is ‘not good,’ adding that he experiences periods of ‘vacancy,’ doesn’t like to go out and stays close to family and people he knows and trusts.
‘I just feel like I’ve lost my way in the world and it’s difficult and it’s been like this for two years now and I can’t take it anymore,’ he said. ‘I need to move on and get some of my life back for me, for my family and for my little boy who can’t understand what’s happened to his dad.
‘When the stroke happened, I had about six to seven months where I was uncommunicative. I struggled making eye contact, wouldn’t go outside, would sit in the same place in the house and not move. It was just shut down.’
Marty opened up about the effects of the attack as plans to crackdown on shoplifters with facial recognition technology has been announced by the Met Police this morning following a rise in retail crime.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain with his wife Kim, Marty said life is ‘not good’
Marty opened up about the effects of the attack as plans to crackdown on shoplifters with facial recognition technology has been announced by the Met Police
Marty was kicked in the head by two assailants while working in the Halfords he manages – pictured
His wife Kim revealed that after the attack Marty would just ‘stare into space’ with no communication.
She said her husband used to be a very outgoing man, who would have multiple ‘projects’ going on and knew family members’ appointments and dates but then after the incident ‘the whole world changed’.
‘He didn’t speak to people,’ she told. We had to spend quite a lot of money on security in the house to make him feel safe.’
‘It was a complete and utter turnaround in our lives,’ she added.
Kim said that Marty had also ‘warned them’.
‘He warned them several times that things were getting worse in the store. He even offered different sorts of solutions, previously they used to have a lot of things in glass cases so they were locked away’.
‘He asked for further help, he sent emails saying I think somebody is going to get hurt, he foresaw what was going to happen.
‘He asked if he could have the glass cabinets back.’
He has been unable to go back to work because of his injuries but said in an emotionally-charged interview he needs to get his ‘life back’
His wife Kim revealed that after the attack Marty would just ‘stare into space’ with no communication
Police dropped the case against the attackers after claiming they could not identify them
Read more: Shocking moment Halfords manager is kicked in the head by two shoplifters
Kim said they have had welfare meetings with Halfords and claims the first came six months after the incident.
She claimed Halfords kept extending their deadline on replying to the couple about how much compensation Marty would be offered – then when they finally offered a settlement figure, he had just two weeks to respond.
A Halfords spokesperson told GMB: ‘Throughout Martin’s absence we have provided support including regular welfare meetings and counselling.
‘We also extended Martin’s company sickness and entitlement.
‘When it was confirmed Martin was not returning to work we followed our correct processes.
‘We believe we acted in a supportive and responsive way throughout the process and want everyone who works with us to feel safe and secure at work that’s why we ask colleagues to report shoplifting when they suspect it but never to confront shoplifters directly.’
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