By Rachael Clifford
A teenager was left hospitalised after being savagely bashed while on his way home in Scarborough on Saturday night.
Louis Hadfield, 17, had been out to dinner with friends and was walking back along Scarborough Beach Road about midnight when a car pulled over and four strangers leapt out to attack him.
His mother, Claudine, received the call no parent wants, and rushed to find a “confronting scene” with “blood everywhere”.
Louis, an aspiring soccer player, was left with a bulging disc, sprains to his ligaments, and will wear a spinal brace for the next four weeks, bringing the striker’s season to an early end.
Claudine said her son was doing well in football and she hoped the attack wouldn’t prevent him from continuing to chase his sporting dreams.
But Louis’ injuries extended further than the physical.
Perth soccer player Louis Hadfield has been hospitalised after an attack in Scarborough on Saturday night.Credit: Nine News Perth
“He’s going to live in fear of this happening, and he shouldn’t be,” Claudine said.
“At 17 he should be happy to go out and excited to go out with his friends.”
In a twist of fate, Louis plays for Perth RedStar, the same soccer club as his idol Danny Hodgson, whose life was turned upside down two years ago when he was the victim of a callous unprovoked attack.
“Our football community is still hurting from that,” Claudine said.
“It’s still talked about, it’s still very fresh for all of us.”
Police are searching for a white Volkswagen Tiguan and described the man who attacked Louis as being dark-skinned with dreadlocked hair.
Nine News Perth
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.