Two more men have been arrested in connection with the gunshot death of a father in Armadale, bringing the total to six. Billy Watson, 35, died after he was found seriously injured at a property on Harestanes Road on September 12.
Emergency response and investigation
Emergency crews raced to the incident in the West Lothian town, but he died at the scene. Police previously said that, following a post-mortem, they were treating his death as murder, with fatal injuries consistent with being shot by a firearm.
At the same time, officers were called to a car on fire in the nearby Netherhouses area. The fire was extinguished by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and there were no reports of injuries.
Arrests and court appearances
Two men, aged 34 and 44, have been arrested in connection with the death. Four men, aged 57, 44, 29 and 20, were previously arrested and charged and have appeared in court charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.
Frank McCarthy, 57, of Bathgate, appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court on Friday, September 18, before Corrie McQueen, 29, and Martin Patterson, 44, both of Armadale, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday, September 21. Josh McBride, 20, then appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court on Wednesday, September 23, made no plea, and was remanded in custody while the case was committed for further examination. McBride was due to reappear in court within the following eight days.
Family tribute and police statement
Billy's family paid tribute to the "deeply loved" father and appealed for anyone with information about his death to come forward. In a statement released by Police Scotland, they said: "Billy was a deeply loved son, dad, brother, uncle and friend. We are all desperate to find out any information about this horrific incident."
Images taken from the scene last month showed a heavy police presence in the area, with the housing estate locked down as forensic officers scoured the neighbourhood.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Two men, aged 34 and 44, have been arrested in connection with the death of Billy Watson in Armadale, bringing the total to six. Billy was pronounced dead after officers were called to a report of a 35-year-old man injured within a property on Harestanes Road around 11.50am on Saturday, 12 September, 2026. Four men, aged 57, 44, 29 and 20, were previously arrested and charged in connection with Billy's death and have appeared in court. Enquiries remain ongoing."
