A former British Army soldier has been given a prison sentence for carrying out a violent petrol bomb attack on a police station. Jamie Taylor, 34, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to his service in Afghanistan, admitted to charges related to explosive substances and endangering life.
Taylor, with a history of previous convictions, traveled to Livingston Police Station in West Lothian armed with petrol-filled vodka bottles in May 2025. He threw one of the petrol bombs at marked police vans parked outside, igniting a fire. Subsequently, he threw more explosives, one of which forced a police officer to intervene to extinguish the flames.
During his court appearance at the High Court in Edinburgh, Taylor pleaded guilty to causing an explosion likely to endanger life and throwing a petrol bomb towards a police officer, endangering her life. Judge Lady Ross sentenced him to three years and six months in prison, emphasizing the danger he had put the officer in and his reckless actions.
Defending Taylor, Iain McSporran KC mentioned that Taylor’s behavior was not a targeted attack and stemmed from his mental health issues and traumatic experiences during his military service. Taylor’s actions were attributed to his struggles with PTSD and the impact it had on his life after leaving the Army.
Despite Taylor’s difficult past and mental health challenges, he received a sentence of three-and-a-half years in prison for his dangerous actions.