MAN APPEARS IN COURT CHARGED WITH MURDER OVER WEST LOTHIAN SHOOTING

Frank McCarthy has appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court charged with the murder of a man who was shot dead in Armadale, West Lothian. He made no plea when he appeared before the court on Friday and was remanded in custody. The charges relate to the death of Billy Watson, who was found injured at a property on Harestanes Road on Saturday and died at the scene. McCarthy also faces a charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice, according to Police Scotland. Officers were called to the address at about 11:50 that morning.

Police Scotland said two further men have been arrested in connection with the case, though neither has yet appeared in court. Detectives are continuing their inquiries into the circumstances surrounding Watson's death, the force said. Separately, officers are examining whether a car fire in the nearby Netherhouses area and a fire at a derelict house on Wotherspoon Crescent, both reported on Saturday, are linked to the killing. Uniformed officers were seen in Netherhouses where the vehicle was set alight, and a cordon was put in place around the property on Wotherspoon Crescent. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said nobody was injured in either fire.

Police Scotland confirmed that inquiries into the case remain ongoing, including efforts to establish whether the two fires are connected to Watson's death. McCarthy is due to remain in custody after making no plea, with no further court date disclosed. The force has not said whether the two other men arrested face further action. The investigation continues to focus on Armadale and the surrounding area, where police activity was reported at multiple locations over the weekend.