A man who planned and carried out a violent assault on a woman outside a Salisbury pharmacy, whose staff were praised by police for their “heroic” actions which saved the victim from more serious harm, has been jailed for five years and six months.

Cameron MacKay (pictured), 36, of Rougemont Close, carried out what Wiltshire Police described as a “sustained and vicious attack” by using crutches to hit the woman on the morning of February 26 outside a branch of Rowlands Pharmacy in Pembroke Road, Bemerton Heath. He also had a hammer with him.

MacKay was sentenced to four years for attempted GBH and nine months for possessing an offensive weapon in a public place to run concurrently and 18 months for harassment to run consecutively.

Local crime investigator Phil Matthews-Dawson of Wiltshire Police, said witnesses, who barricaded themselves inside the pharmacy while they waited for police to arrive, feared MacKay was going to kill the woman.

Matthews-Dawson, who revealed the victim's injuries were "some of the worst" he had seen, said: “I would like to thank the heroic actions of the staff who were there that day, who intervened without hesitation and who, ultimately saved the victim from further, more serious harm.”

He added: “MacKay was found by the jury to have pre-planned his violent and unprovoked attack by bringing a hammer to a place he knew she would be, in order to assault her with intention of causing her serious harm.

“I would also like to thank the victim for their continued bravery and support throughout the investigation and extend my thanks to the witnesses who attended court to give evidence.”

MacKay was also sentenced to one month each to run concurrently for four counts of assaulting an emergency worker between November 2023 and February 2024.

Image: Wiltshire Police