Blackpool dad scarred for life after taking on knife-wielding clown in armed supermarket robbery speaks out about lack of mental health support

Scott Marsden, 32, was shopping for cat food at Tesco Express on Highfield Road in May 2018 when he witnessed the armed seige unfolding.

He said: “I saw a guy come in with a clown mask on and what looked like a firearm. There was no security guard at the door. At that point I realised that it was actually an armed robbery, and I could hear women and children screaming.”

Cashier Shaun Winstanley, 49, was held at gunpoint in the attempted raid.

Scott, a builder, leapt into action and scuffled with the would-be robber. He managed to disarm him - but was knifed in the struggle.

“I got the gun off him and knocked him to the floor, and I thought I was going to really do some damage to him so I stepped back a bit, and he pulled a Stanley knife out and slashed me across the face,” Scott said.

“He slit me from one side of my face to the other, straight to the bone. Half my face is paralysed now.

“A woman in the shop saved my life. He cut the main artery in my temple and if she hadn’t treated my head I would have bled out and died.”

Scott, who lives on Bournemouth Road, was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and then to Royal Preston Hospital, where he had an eight-hour operation.

But his troubles had only just begun, as he fell into a deep depression and suffered from PTSD following the attack.

His marriage broke down, and he was plagued with suicidal thoughts.

“I tried to get on with it, but it was too much,” he said. “It got to the point where I tried to hang myself in my garage. The police had to come and get me and take me to hospital.

“They sent me to the mental health ward at Blackpool Vic, where I had to sit for 13 days because there were no beds.”

Scott was eventually sent to another mental health ward in Lancaster, where he stayed for 13 weeks and was released in December, just before Christmas.

Now the dad-of-one has spoken out about the lack of support out there for mentally ill people - and slammed supermarket giant Tesco for its lack of security

“When you go through trauma, they just throw you back out there - you can barely survive,” he said. “I used to own a building company before this. When I came out I had to sell all my tools that took a lifetime to build up because I had no money. I felt like I was being punished for doing the right thing.

“I used to be well-dressed and managed. I’ve got tattoos over my head now to hide the scars. It’s completely changed my life.

“I think Tesco need to be held more accountable. I personally think they should have taken responsibility. They had a duty to look after the staff and the public who go into the store, and none of us received that.

“I left hospital with nothing but a bag on my shoulder. I feel like I’ve been let down by the NHS, the mental health system and Tesco.”

TESCO SAID...

A Tesco spokesman said: “This robbery was an extremely difficult experience for our customers and colleagues. We are grateful for how quickly the police responded. This store had not previously been the target for robbery and had all the appropriate security measures in place including CCTV and regular training for colleagues.”

THE NHS SAID...

Tanya Hibbert, head of operations for the mental health network at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s not appropriate to go into detail about the care and treatment of people in specific cases but providing high quality care is our number one priority. If there is anything anyone would like to raise I’d encourage them to get in touch and talk to us about it. We will listen and find solutions together.”