A former British soldier has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison for a dangerous petrol bomb attack on a police station in West Lothian.
Trauma and a Dangerous Grievance
Jamie Taylor, 34, a veteran with eight years of service, launched the assault on Livingston Police Station on May 30, 2025. The High Court in Stirling heard that Taylor, who suffers from complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following tours in Afghanistan's Helmand province, arrived by taxi armed with four vodka bottles filled with petrol.
He proceeded to light and throw one of the homemade incendiary devices at a row of five marked police vans parked outside the station. After the first bomb ignited, he hurled a second, prompting Police Constable Kirsty Forsyth to run towards the blaze in an attempt to extinguish it.
A Officer's Life in Danger
Undeterred, Taylor then lit and threw a third petrol bomb. The court was told the resulting flames rose above PC Forsyth's head, directly endangering her life. Taylor later admitted his actions were motivated by a 'sense of grievance against the police' related to another individual, after his criminal record was revealed to his partner, costing him his relationship and his job.
In November, at the High Court in Edinburgh, Taylor pleaded guilty to two serious charges: causing an explosion likely to endanger life or property, and culpably and recklessly throwing a petrol bomb towards PC Forsyth, which exploded to the danger of her life.
Sentencing and a Call for Help
Passing sentence on Tuesday, Judge Lady Ross told Taylor: 'Even though you were not aiming at her, you put PC Forsyth’s life in danger. This was obviously dangerous and criminally stupid.' She acknowledged his military service, trauma, and diagnosis of complex PTSD, noting he understood his actions were wrong and had made progress in prison.
However, she stated the severity of the offending left no alternative to a custodial sentence. A 12-month supervision order was also imposed. Judge Ross added: 'It is very plain you need help, you need supervision and sustained care.'
Taylor's defence lawyer explained that his client had 'self-discharged from the Army' after his final Afghanistan tour, during which he witnessed a close friend die from an explosive device. The lawyer stated, 'Were it not for his mental health issues, this offence would never have happened.' Taylor, who has 11 previous convictions, will now serve his sentence under supervision.
