A teenager in Belfast, Northern Ireland was left with horrific burns on his forehead after his friends poured lighter fluid on him in an alleged prank gone wrong earlier this week. Police have arrested one person in connection with the incident.
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Padraig Hagans, 18, said he was attacked after he fell asleep following a night out with friends, reports The Sun. When he woke up, he learned his forehead was set on fire by his friends, he claims. He was left with severe burns on his forehead, and could be disfigured for the rest of his life.
His mother, Mary Hagans, posted two photos of her son’s forehead on Facebook on May 21. “This is my son tonight one day after the assault from his so called friend (Blacky) done playing with fire,” she wrote.
Police said one 18-year-old man was arrested and released on bail as the investigation continues.
Mary Hagans told Irish News her son felt “the feeling of water running down his face” when he woke up at his home in Springfield Park. When he woke up, there was one man left in the room who “just lit a lighter and his whole head went on fire.”
His friends stayed to watch the scene, laughing as Hagans was “jumping around the room, smacking (his) hands off his head” to try to put out the fire.
“I feel heartbroken,” Mary Hagans told the Irish News. “I feel really, really annoyed that someone would do this to him. I just can’t describe it. It’s a terrible shock to me and my son.”
Mary Hagans said her son is still “very, very shaken up” by the incident, he is feeling pain from “head to toe” and has trouble sleeping.
“The doctors said it looks as if there is going to be a lot of scarring,” the mother of four said.
Mary Hagans gave a stern warning for parents, telling them to talk to their children about the danger of pranks.
“Parents need to talk to their children about doing pranks,” she told the Irish News. “It’s not a game. They are all playing with fire and somebody is going to end up hurt or on fire.”
A PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) spokeswoman confirmed to BelfastLive that a man was questioned on “suspicion of grievous bodily harm” in relation to Hagans’ case.
“An 18 year old man sustained burns to his face and scalp after lighter fluid was poured on his head and set alight at a property in Springfield Park during the early hours of Sunday morning, 20 May. The male sought hospital treatment for his injuries and reported the matter to police on Monday 21 May,” the police statement reads. “An 18 year old suspect was arrested yesterday afternoon and has since been released on bail pending further police enquiries.”
Photo credit: Facebook/ Mary Hagans
