Four Men Jailed for Fire-Raising Attacks Amid Gangland War
Four men have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a series of fire-raising attacks linked to a "gangland war".
Kieran Abercrombie, 32, and Robert Thomson, 18, conspired with others to damage properties and vehicles in Glasgow and Edinburgh during May 2025.
Alongside 19-year-olds Kenzie Gardner and Tyler Ramage, the group set fire to a Land Rover and an Audi parked outside a family home in Edinburgh's Morningside area.
During sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lord Mulholland stated:
"Gangsterism is never acceptable in a civilised society."
The court heard that Abercrombie and Thomson had conspired to damage property associated with Mark Richardson, who was imprisoned with his father in 2017 for cocaine dealing.
Richardson had previously received a 10-year sentence in 2010 for his involvement in a cocaine and crack cocaine distribution network.
On 8 May of the previous year, Abercrombie, Thomson, and Gardner set fire to a building housing a Glasgow Private Hire business.
That same day, they joined Ramage in setting fire to the two vehicles in Edinburgh, resulting in an estimated £100,000 worth of damage. The property belongs to David McMillan, an associate of Richardson.
The attacks occurred amid conflict involving the Daniel, Lyons, and Richardson crime gangs operating in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The four men were apprehended during Operation Portaledge, a Police Scotland initiative targeting gang violence across Scotland.
On Tuesday, Abercrombie, currently incarcerated at HMP Addiewell, was sentenced to nine years in prison, while Thomson, from Whitburn, received six years and eight months detention.
Gardner was sentenced to five years and four months detention, and Ramage was given a four-year detention term. Both are from Bathgate.
The men pleaded guilty last month to offences including wilful fire-raising and conspiracy.
In passing sentence, Lord Mulholland remarked:
"You all pled guilty to varying degrees of firebombing a business, firebombing two cars in the driveway of a private dwelling, plotting to firebomb another private dwelling and possession of a stun gun.
"The background to all of this is that it was part of a gangland war as the serious organised crime aggravation attests to.
"If that was not serious enough, the taxi premises in charge one was in operation and two employees were working there at the time.
"You could quite easily have been facing a murder charge had the fire taken a different course. We can see the dangers of fires from recent events in Glasgow."
The judge noted that the attack in Morningside occurred during daylight hours while a family with children was inside the house.
Lord Mulholland added that a third charge involved a planned firebombing of cars at another Edinburgh address, which was prevented before execution.
The men received payment for their "nefarious work," the judge stated.
"There is a heavy price to pay for those caught doing this criminality and you are about to pay that price."
Sheer Naked Gangsterism
Lord Mulholland commented on the younger offenders' criminality, noting it was not due to immaturity.
"It was sheer naked gangsterism, pure and simple," he said.
Following sentencing, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) affirmed its commitment to robustly address violent crime.
A spokesperson stated:
"These convictions underline our determination to ensure that those who commit this type of violent offending are prosecuted with all the tools at our disposal.
"I hope that these sentences send a strong message to others involved in this kind of criminal behaviour, that police and prosecutors will investigate, prepare and prosecute serious and organised crime of this nature."
