By Chris Slater,Jack Fifield

Copyright manchestereveningnews

A Greggs worker says he has been ‘scarred for life’ after being attacked with a hammer during a violent attempted robbery. The bakery staff member spoke of his ‘utterly terrifying’ ordeal as the man responsible was jailed for seven years. Vincent Foley, 44, from Wythenshawe , stormed into the Greggs in Handforth, Cheshire, on July 4 wearing a balaclava and armed with the hammer. The would-be thief used it as a weapon and then hit the employee with a hammer to gain entry to the store, before struggling to use keys and failing to open the shop’s safe, in the office area, before fleeing the scene. Sign up to the MEN Court newsletter here Later that day, he smashed the patio doors and broke into a home before stealing watches, bracelets, a deactivated antique shotgun, and a chequebook. On July 7, Foley tried to write himself a cheque for £2,000 and £4,000. These were refused by the bank, who alerted the victim. He was arrested a week later, after the stolen chequebook was found in his car when he was stopped for driving erratically. Foley appeared at Chester Crown Court for sentencing today (Thursday, September 11) after pleading guilty to attempted robbery, possession of an offensive weapon, and burglary last month. Prosecutor Shannon Stewart told the court Foley has 43 previous convictions for 92 offences, of which 14 are for theft and similar offences, dating as far back as 1996, when he was a teenager. Of his previous offences, Foley has burgled four homes and has carried out multiple robberies, including one in July 2014, for which he was jailed for six years, and a theft in June 2025, when he was fined. In a victim impact statement by a Greggs employee, which he read out in court, ho said he was ‘scarred for life’ following the brutal hammer attack, which left him covered in blood. The attack caused an injury above the employee’s left eye, which required six stitches. He said: “My son said I look scary with the scar. I personally found that quite upsetting. I also had to deal with a lot of anger and frustration, and had to deal with strangers staring at me.” Since the attack, ‘introverted’ Mr Laing said he found it difficult to deal with questions about the scars from others. He also recalled being startled at work by a delivery driver who was out of uniform during the hot weather in the summer following the attack. A colleague said in his impact statement that he had been left unable to sleep following the attack and was now on edge when he was out and about. He said: “Immediately after the crime I wasn’t getting to sleep until 5am, I had to get up at 8am for my next shift, just because I was dreading going back to the bakery. “I’ve been much more withdrawn than before. Even now at work, I’m on edge. One time a delivery driver came into the back of the shop, I nearly s*** myself, I got a rush of adrenaline. “Even though I know it’s nonsensical, supposing someone sees what Foley’s done and tries it for themselves has made me anxious.” In a statement read out by Ms Stewart, homeowner David Cusworth said the subsequent burglary on his home had made him feel vulnerable. Defending, Adam Lodge, said Foley had expressed remorse for his actions and had pleaded guilty at his first crown court appearance. Mr Lodge said Foley suffered from PTSD as a result of witnessing a murder ‘many years ago’ and bipolar, and had to be prescribed diazepam to calm him down when he was taken to the police station. He added that the defendant had begun to settle down in the two years before he committed the offence, when he was on benefits and focusing on being a father and grandfather. But, Mr Lodge said, it ‘all fell apart’ due to the loss of his grandson, and Foley started taking drugs. He said: “He felt useless, he wasn’t able to be there emotionally for his daughter, who lost her child. He became effectively homeless and destitute. These offences were committed, he would say, to provide him funds.” He added that Foley was ‘determined going forward’ to not return to his criminal lifestyle. Mr Lodge added: “He could not regret his behaviour more, he understands the proper course would have been to seek counselling assistance with bereavement. He didn’t do that, he very much regrets it.” Judge Patrick Thompson said he couldn’t ignore Foley’s previous burglaries in his sentencing. He said: “You entered those premises dressed in black, wearing a balaclava, armed with a weapon. You used the weapon immediately, it must have been utterly terrifying for those who were present. “(Your victim) received a blow to his head, a very significant blow, he was hospitalised and had to have six sutures. I’ve seen the wound, it was a significant wound.” Judge Thompson ordered Foley to be jailed for seven years. He will serve half of his sentence in custody, before he will be released on licence. Following the hearing, Detective Constable Ash, from Cheshire Police, said: “Detective Constable Ash said: “Now that Foley has been jailed for a substantial time, I hope this reassures shopworkers and residents alike that we do take crime seriously, and that by working with you and gathering evidence such as CCTV, we can put these criminals before the court. “CCTV is a valuable tool as we have seen here. I hope that its prevalence in our communities and our commitment to catching criminals deters others from targeting businesses and homes.”