Man arrested over death of dad Gary Nicol in Livingston

Gary Nicol, 50, died after he was found seriously injured on Livingston's Bankton Lane at around 2am on Thursday, September 26.

A man has been arrested in connection with the death of Gary Nicol in Livingston.

The father died after he was found seriously injured on the West Lothian town's Bankton Lane at around 2am on Thursday, September 26. Emergency crews attended but sadly Gary, 50, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following a post-mortem examination, detectives initially treated the HGV driver's death as unexplained. However, further inquiries carried out by a dedicated team of specialist officers later led to the circumstances to be treated as murder.

Detectives confirmed on Friday that a 25-year-old man has now been arrested in connection and inquiries are ongoing. Meanwhile, a public appeal was launched by Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team earlier this week.

Officers from the local division and operational support units have also been involved in the ongoing probe. At a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon, Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Pleasance, from Police Scotland's Major Investigation Team, told how Gary's family have been left "devastated" by his death.

He said: "Gary was well known in his local community and his family are devastated. He was a father, a son, a brother, an uncle. His family, at the moment, are desperate for answers and that is what we're seeking to get and that is why I am asking the public to assist us with their inquiries."

Several days after Gary's death, on October 2 - which would have been his 51st birthday - Gary's daughter, Taylor, paid a heart-wrenching tribute to her late father.

Writing on Facebook, Taylor said: "Today is your birthday dad which makes this time even more harder. I would like to think heaven has a pint of Tennent’s and a wee glass of dark rum and cola waiting for you."

It's believed that Gary drove to Bankton Lane in his black Ford Mondeo car, registration GN02GRN, on the evening he died. He arrived at the scene around midnight before he is believed to have been murdered. Images showed a forensic tent erected at the scene last month.

Detectives have urged anybody who may have spotted Gary's car or any other vehicles in the area at the time of the incident to come forward. An online portal has been set up for the public to submit information directly to the major incident team based at the Scottish Crime Campus.

A statement from Police Scotland reads: "A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of Gary Nicol in Livingston. The 50-year-old died after being found with serious injuries on Bankton Lane around 2am on Thursday, 26 September, 2024.

"The 25-year-old was arrested on Friday, 11 October and enquiries are ongoing."

The portal can be accessed here: Public Portal (mipp.police.uk).

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