11-year-old boy hit with golf club in Dagenham park
11-year-old Mehmet Yagli's injuries, a week on - Credit: Archant
A terrified mum has spoken of her concern after her 11-year-old son was hit round the head with a golf club in Central Park.
Mehmet Yagli, shortly after the incident - Credit: Archant
Robert Clack pupil Mehmet Yagli, of Grosvenor Road, Dagenham, was playing with his siblings when the unprovoked attack happened in the Dagenham park on Monday last week at about 1.15pm.
A boy – who Mehmet’s older brother believed to be a pupil at his school – asked the youngster if he wanted to “play golf”.
But instead he was hit in the head.
“I was in a lot of pain and fell to the ground,” Mehmet recalled.
Mehmet, with his mum Yeliz - Credit: Archant
“He [the culprit] didn’t say sorry, he just said ‘Oh, that’s bad’ and then ran off.
“I don’t really want to go back to the park because I don’t want it to happen again.”
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Mehmet’s housebound mum Yeliz, who suffers from rheumatic condition fibromyalgia as well as rheumatoid arthritis, was alerted to the incident by her husband and carer, Ahmet, who told her to come to Queen’s Hospital straight away.
“I assumed it was something to do with his asthma but when I saw him I was absolutely gobsmacked,” she said.
“The doctors said he was a very lucky boy not to have suffered any brain damage.
“My hands and my legs were shaking like a leaf. When I saw him I just thought that was it.
“The massive swelling’s slowly starting to go down, but he still looks like he’s been in a boxing fight.”
Mehmet’s sister Sadie called their father when the incident happened, while a group of rugby players who also happened to be in the park dialled for an ambulance.
Police confirmed they were called just before 2pm by Yeliz reporting her son had been attacked with a golf club in Central Park, Dagenham earlier in the afternoon.
Officers spoke to Mehmet at the Romford hospital but they concluded that he had been “struck by mistake whilst another child was trying to hit a ball” and have decided to take no further action.
