Posted on the 18th October 2026 in PHTM News

ROBBER STOPPED BY HEROIC FALKIRK CABBIE FACES POSSIBLE LIFE SENTENCE

A 38-year-old robber who shot and attacked a taxi driver before being overpowered by his victim is facing a potential life sentence.

Gregor Thomson was captured on dash-cam footage holding up the cab driver following a late-night pick-up in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, on 5 May.

Despite being shot and injured, the driver managed to pin the attacker to the ground until police arrived, aided by bystanders who witnessed the struggle.

The case was heard again on Tuesday 13 October at the High Court in Edinburgh, where prosecutor David Fisken detailed the events.

Thomson and a friend were picked up outside a Chinese restaurant at around 10.30pm and asked to be taken to a local pharmacy, demanding the driver "make it quick". When Thomson’s bank card was declined twice for a £10 upfront fare, dash-cam footage recorded him pulling out an imitation handgun from a bag, which the victim believed to be real.

Thomson threatened the driver, stating: "I am going to shoot you."

After the driver jumped out and tried to lock Thomson inside, the robber moved into the front seat but failed to start the car.

Thomson then confronted the driver outside, repeating his threat to shoot before discharging the weapon - later identified as a BB gun firing pellets - hitting the driver in the cheek and head.

During a violent struggle for the car keys, Thomson bit the driver’s arm and struck him with the gun before the victim put him in a headlock and pinned him down. The victim suffered a fractured finger, eye injuries, bruising, and a severe bite mark.

Thomson, who has 24 previous convictions including a seven-year sentence for attempted murder in 2014, has pleaded guilty to assault and robbery at the High Court in Glasgow.

Lord Harrower ordered an assessment to determine if Thomson meets the criteria for an Order for Lifelong Restriction (OLR), an indefinite sentence where release is controlled by a parole board.

Defence advocate Allan MacLeod argued that an extended jail term was more appropriate, noting Thomson's diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. However, Lord Harrower ruled that an OLR may be justified, stating: "The risk criteria as set out in the legislation may be made out in this case."


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