Man firebombed salon and garage linked to crime boss in gang war

A man who worked in “marketing and sales” firebombed a beauty salon part-owned by the partner of a “prominent” figure in Scots gangland, a court heard.

Logan Carlin, 24, started a fire at the Belle Cheveux beauty parlour in Albert Street, Edinburgh, on March 6 this year.

The High Court in Edinburgh was told that witnesses had heard male voices outside the shop shortly after 2 am.

One neighbour could see a male in the street smashing the window of the property, which took about five attempts.

The same man was seen picking up what looked like a bottle with a tissue or towel inside, lighting it, and throwing it into the building.

The witness said she heard him shout: “Think you can f*** over my pals.”

Emergency services arrived on the scene, and neighbouring properties were evacuated.

Carlin, of Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, pled guilty to a charge of wilfully setting fire to Belle Cheveux.

He also admitted another charge of wilfully setting fire to DB Auto Services on Milton Street, Edinburgh, on March 16, 2025.

The offences were aggravated by links to serious and organised crime.

Carlin was arrested as part of Police Scotland’s Operation Portaledge – an initiative set up to tackle violence which has erupted in recent months in Glasgow and Edinburgh involving the Daniel, Lyons and Richardson crime gangs.

On Tuesday, he observed proceedings via video link from HMP Saughton in Edinburgh.

Prosecutor Leanne McQuillan told Lord Summers that Carlin lived with his mum in Bruntsfield and had started working with a sales and marketing company based in Edinburgh.

She told the court that Belle Cheveux, in Leith, was part-owned by the partner of a prominent member of an organised crime group who is currently in prison.

The court heard that police recovered DNA matching the accused from the windowsill of the salon.

He had previous convictions for road traffic offences and breaching bail.

Police investigating the accused found that his mobile phone on the night of the offence was connected to masts in the area of the crime – this showed that he was in the area on the night in question.

The court then heard that on March 16, a Ford Eco Sport VRM, which had been stolen in January 2025, drove towards DB Auto Services.

It was said that the business was owned by the father of the “owner of the beauty salon”.

Around 5.40am on March 16, the tenant of the premises was at the location in his car. He heard glass smash and saw a male throw a petrol bomb into the garage before speeding off in a white SUV vehicle.

The fire service was called to the scene, and the blaze was extinguished. Officers once again found Carlin’s DNA at the scene and the white Ford, which was left abandoned with false registration plates in Edinburgh’s Whitson Way.

Defence advocate Andrew Crosbie said he would reserve his mitigation for Carlin until a hearing next year.

Lord Summers deferred sentencing and remanded Carlin in custody.