Ex-soldier tried to blow up police station and vans with petrol bombs

A former soldier endangered a police officer’s life during a bid to “blow up” a police station with petrol bombs, a court has heard.

Jamie Taylor, 34, launched three molotov cocktails at Police Scotland vans parked outside the force’s Livingston office on May 30, 2025.

On Thursday, a judge at the High Court in Edinburgh saw CCTV footage of Taylor throwing the improvised weapons and of them bouncing off the windscreens of the vehicles. The bombs then exploded on the ground causing them to start fires near the entrance.

Lady Ross then saw footage of a PC rush out of the station armed with a fire extinguisher. She was trying put the fires out with another colleague.

But then Lady Ross saw the moment when Taylor threw his third petrol bomb which landed at the female PC’s feet. The judge could see a flame shooting up from the ground above her.

The police officer could then be seen trying to avoid being seriously injured by running from the scene. Her colleagues then ran out of the station and chased Taylor, who was apprehended a short while later at a street in the West Lothian town.

Describing the moment Taylor was arrested, prosecutor Wojciech Jajdelski told Lady Ross: “Following information that the accused had been seen in Columbia Avenue in Livingston, police officers attended there and found him lying on the ground next to a bush.

“He was smelling strongly of fuel. He stated: ‘if it makes any difference, I know it won’t, but it wasn’t a directed attack.

“The accused was arrested by police. He stated that he understood and made no reply. He was then taken to Livingston police station where he was processed and his clothing was seized.

“A petrol can and a nozzle and a vodka bottle were seized from outside the accused’s address at 21.10 hours.”

Taylor, of Bo’Ness, West Lothian, pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching the 1883 Explosives Act by throwing three petrol bombs at the police station and vehicles parked outside it.

Taylor also admitted another charge of “culpably and recklessly” throwing a petrol bomb towards the female PC, “whereby it collided with the ground and exploded to the danger of her life.”

On Thursday, Mr Jajdelski told Lady Ross that Taylor had eight previous convictions and was staying temporarily with his mum at the time of the incident.

The prosecutor said that shortly before the incident, Mr Taylor’s partner received information under the disclosure scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland.

Mr Jajdelski added: “The disclosure related to his history of domestic violence against a former partner.”

The court heard that on the day of the attack, his mum had gone on holiday and Taylor phoned her to say that he had a “bag full of vodka bottles filled with petrol”.

The prosecutor added: “He said he was going to blow up Livingston Police station.”

Shortly before 6.30pm, a taxi driver picked up Mr Taylor and took him to the police station.

The prosecutor added: “The accused was carrying a shopping bag with vodka bottles filled with petrol which he put in the boot.

“During the journey, Mr Taylor told the taxi driver that he was going to see a copper about a bike.

“The accused told the taxi driver that if he could smell petrol, it was coming from the gloves the accused was wearing.”

CCTV cameras near the police station captured the moment a hooded Taylor started throwing the petrol bombs.

Mr Jajdelski added: “The bottle struck a marked police van smashing the windscreen before bouncing and landing on the ground between the van and the main door to the police station reception area.

“This caused a sudden blast of dire which was seen by [a PC] who was leaving the police station at the time.

“The accused then reached for the bag and ignited and threw another bottle which landed on the ground closer to the building than the first bottle and caused a sudden blast of fire which persisted.

“[The PC] returned to the police station to get assistance. He and [the female PC] then returned outside with fire extinguishers.

“At this time the accused threw a further third bottle which landed very near to [the female PC] as she was trying to put out the larger fire caused by the second bottle.

“The third bottle smashed, unexpectedly, for her right at her feet causing a sudden blast of fire which instantly went up above her height and caused her to turn away quickly back towards the police station.

“The accused then ran off and was lost to sight.”

Defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran KC told the court that his client had serious mental health issues which were partly associated with his former “army career”.

He said he’d explain Taylor’s issues at a later hearing.

Mr McSporran also praised the female PC’s behaviour.

He added: “She seemed to remain extremely cool in the circumstances.”

Lady Ross told Taylor, a remand prisoner who observed proceedings via video link, that she needed a report into his background before she could sentence him.

Speaking about the incident, Lady Ross added: “This was clearly a dangerous thing to do.”

Taylor will be sentenced at the High Court in Stirling on January 13, 2026.