A 57-year-old man has appeared in court charged with murdering a 35-year-old man who was shot dead at a property in Armadale, West Lothian.
A death at Harestanes Road
Billy Watson was found injured at a property on Harestanes Road in Armadale at about 11:50 on Saturday and died at the scene. Frank McCarthy appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court on Friday, charged with murder and with attempting to defeat the ends of justice. He made no plea and was remanded in custody.
Police Scotland said inquiries are ongoing. In addition to McCarthy, a 29-year-old man and a 44-year-old man have also been arrested in connection with the incident.
Fires under investigation
Detectives are also examining whether a nearby car fire in Netherhouses and a fire at a derelict house on Wotherspoon Crescent on Saturday are linked to the shooting. Uniformed officers were seen in the Netherhouses area shortly after the car was set ablaze, and a cordon was put in place on Wotherspoon Crescent. Both incidents were being treated as linked inquiries.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said nobody was injured in the fires. The investigation remains active, and police have not ruled out further arrests.
Why it matters
This story matters because a firearm homicide in West Lothian is a rare and serious event that brings a significant police response. The fact that three men have been arrested and one has been charged with murder indicates that detectives have made rapid progress, but the link to the two fires suggests the incident may have involved more than a single confrontation. Communities in Armadale and the surrounding area will be waiting for further information about what happened on Saturday evening.
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An attempted murder charge and a murder charge together mean the court process will run for some time, and the ongoing inquiries mean the full picture has not yet emerged.
What happens next
McCarthy remains in custody and is expected to appear at court again for a plea hearing. The two other men arrested are likely to be questioned further. Police Scotland have said inquiries are ongoing, which suggests more details could be released in the coming days, including whether the car fire and the derelict house fire were deliberately started as part of the same incident.
Source: BBC News
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