A former soldier has confessed to endangering the life of a police constable after attempting to set fire to a Scottish police station using homemade petrol bombs.
The Attack on Livingston Police Station
On May 30, 2025, Jamie Taylor, a 34-year-old from Bo'ness in West Lothian, launched three Molotov cocktails at Police Scotland vans stationed outside the force's Livingston office. The High Court in Edinburgh was shown CCTV footage depicting Taylor throwing the improvised explosive devices, which bounced off the windscreens of the vehicles.
The petrol bombs subsequently exploded on the ground, igniting fires close to the building's main entrance. Prior to the assault, Taylor had telephoned his mother, informing her he possessed a 'bag full of vodka bottles filled with petrol'. He then travelled via taxi to the police station, carrying his arsenal in a carrier bag.
Officer in the Line of Fire
Lady Ross, the presiding judge, viewed footage of PC Kirsty Forsyth bravely rushing from the station with a fire extinguisher, attempting to douse the flames alongside a colleague. The court also witnessed the moment Taylor threw his third petrol bomb, which detonated at PC Forsyth's feet, sending flames shooting upwards. The officer was then seen fleeing from the immediate danger.
Prosecutor Wojciech Jajdelski described Taylor's arrest, stating he was found 'lying on the ground next to a bush' and smelling strongly of fuel. Upon arrest, Taylor remarked, "If it makes any difference, I know it won't, but it wasn't a directed attack." A petrol can, nozzle, and a vodka bottle were later seized from outside his home.
Guilty Plea and Mental Health Factors
On Thursday at the High Court in Edinburgh, Taylor pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching the 1883 Explosives Act by throwing three petrol bombs at the police station and the vehicles parked outside. He also admitted a further charge of culpably and recklessly throwing a petrol bomb towards PC Forsyth, whereby it collided with the ground and exploded, endangering her life.
His defence solicitor advocate, Iain McSporran, KC, informed the court that his client suffers from serious mental health issues, which are partly associated with his previous career in the Army. Lady Ross, addressing Taylor who appeared via video link as a remand prisoner, deferred sentencing, stating she required a background report. Jamie Taylor will be sentenced at the High Court in Stirling on January 13 next year.
