A man who attempted to rob Greggs Bakery in Handforth has been jailed

A man who attempted to rob Greggs Bakery in Handforth has been jailed for seven years.

Vincent Foley, 43, from Bailey Lane Manchester appeared at Chester Crown Court on 11 September to be sentenced after pleading guilty to burglary and theft, attempted robbery, and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place at an earlier hearing.

He pleaded not guilty to section 18 wounding with intent and fraud by false representation, these charges will lie on file.

The charges relate to an attempted robbery at the bakery in Wilmslow Road in Handforth on 4 July and a burglary at an address in Meriton Road, Handforth on the same day. The fraud relates to using stolen cheques on 7 July.

Foley entered the office area of the bakery on Wilmslow Road and assaulted a member of staff with a hammer. The staff member ran to his colleagues in the front and they ran out of the shop to safety.

Foley then tried to open the safe but failed and left empty-handed.

The whole event was captured on CCTV, including Foley taking his face covering off to reveal his face to the cameras.

The same day he broke into a house in Meriton Road in Handforth and stole a number of watches and bracelets, a deactivated antique shotgun and a cheque book.

Foley tried to write himself a cheque for £2,000 and £4,000, which was refused by the bank who alerted the victim.

The cheque book was found in Foley’s car when he was stopped and arrested by Greater Manchester Police after being spotted driving erratically in Rochdale on 14 July.

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.”