An Armagh community has rallied around a nine-year-old local boy who had money stolen from his street corner sweet stall.
Eoghan, who was selling sweets and drinks to raise money to buy himself a bearded dragon, was grabbed by his neck by two men, who stole £20 from his stall and fled in a blue pick-up truck.
The incident took place yesterday (Thursday) in the Rock Road / Primate’s Manor area between 12.45pm and 1pm.
Despite being traumatised by the incident, mum Kelly says Eoghan’s resolve has strengthened, and he was straight back out today to continue selling.
After it happened, Eoghan bravely explained the incident to his family members, who promptly contacted police.
It wasn’t long after when the dozens of messages of support for the youngster started to pour in, something which greatly lifted his spirits.
“We’ve had an unreal response and unreal support,” Kelly said. “The messages are really helping his mental health and I think he really needed it.
“I can’t thank people enough. As soon as he heard people were coming to his wee stall he was so happy. It’s a real positive that’s come out of the bad.”
When Armagh I visited Eoghan’s stall, he was doing a roaring trade, with many cars stopping along the route to see his stock.
Among those donating stock and money to his stall were Ryan from the Parklands Restaurant and Wayne from Glaze & Roll, who gave Eoghan a £100 voucher to Madd Pets in Portadown.
Despite the uplift the community has provided to Eoghan, Kelly still recounts her shock on hearing what happened.
She said: “I was devastated, shocked, angry, gutted and heartbroken. He’s my wee man and he’s been through so much. No child deserves that. It’s hard to explain to him there’s bad people in the world.”
Police are still appealing for witnesses to come forward.
A police spokesperson said: “Did you observe a dark coloured pick-up truck in the area, with two males on board?
“This vehicle is believed to have been involved in the theft of money and food from a young boy who was selling items on the street corner.
“If you believe you have any information or dash cam footage that may be helpful in identifying those involved, please contact police on 101 quoting serial 1135 of 25/07/2024.”
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