A Scots mum has told of her horror after watching a Snapchat video of her 13-year-old son being brutally attacked by a gang of older boys who she says beat him with 'gloves strapped with nails'.
Leanne McIlroy's says teen son Tyler McGreavy was lured to an empty field in Fudstone, Kilbirnie, by a boy he 'thought was a pal' before being ambushed by a gang of older thugs.
Leanne, of Ardrossan, Ayrshire, says Tyler was set upon by all of the vile attackers who stamped on his head and punched him in the head while wearing gloves that had nails taped to them.
The horrified mum says while the brutal assault went on, another boy filmed it on his mobile phone and shared it on Snapchat afterwards.
Speaking to the Record, an emotional Leanne, 36, said: "I felt sick watching that video. I couldn't watch it all. I had to turn it off. It's sickening.
"Tyler said they were wearing gloves which had nails strapped to them with tape and thats what they were punching him in the head with. In the video you can see them punching and stamping on his head. He doesn't stand a chance.
"He's only 13, some of those boys in that video are definitely older. He thinks one of them was at least 19.
"He has cuts and bruises all over his head and body and his head has swelled behind his ear. We are obviously relieved that there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage, but when you're beating a child with nails in your fists. It could have easily been a murder."
Leanne says the attackers left Tyler 'to die' beaten and bleeding in a ditch before he was found by two men passing by.
A female friend of Tyler's had heard from other teenagers the planned attack was happening and asked her mum to help her track the teenager down.
She said: "Two guys happened to be passing and found him and got him from the park on to the main street.
"At the same time a wee girl he is friends with had found out through some of her pals that these boys were going to batter Tyler so she and her mum drove around until they found him. They contacted us and brought him home."
Tyler's dad Stewart McGreavy 42, called police and reported the incident and the schoolboy was taken to Crosshouse Hospital.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "Around 6.10pm on Sunday, 8 November, 2020, police were called after 13-year-old boy was assaulted by three other boys in a field in Fudstone, Kilbirnie, around 3.30 pm that afternoon.
"He was taken to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock where he was treated by medical staff and has since been released. Enquiries, which are at a very early stage, are continuing."
