A young mother from North Lanarkshire has been left fearing for her life after a terrifying arson attack saw her car set on fire just metres from where she and her young son were sleeping.
A Harrowing Ordeal Escalates
Courtney McBride, 27, from Kirkshaws Avenue in Coatbridge, had reportedly been subjected to months of threatening messages from a man known to her. She alleges the communications included threats to set her vehicle alight, though prior police assessments concluded no crime had been committed at that stage.
Her nightmare became a reality in the early hours of Saturday, December 27, 2025. At around 2am, Courtney was woken by the sound of her neighbour desperately trying to smash down her front door to raise the alarm.
Doorbell Camera Captures the Attack
Eerie footage from her doorbell camera captured the chilling moment a hooded figure in dark clothing approached her Audi A3 on the driveway. The individual is seen dousing the vehicle in a flammable liquid before it erupts into a ball of flames, with the perpetrator then fleeing the scene.
"It was absolutely terrifying," Courtney told the Daily Record. "I quickly grabbed my little boy and ran down the stairs. I tried to get out through the front door, but the flames were too close and smoke was pouring into the living room. Thankfully, we were able to escape out the back of the house."
The fire spread rapidly from the car to the front of her home, causing significant damage and melting window and door frames.
Living in Fear After the Flames
Despite the swift response from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who extinguished the blaze by 3.19am, Courtney and her six-year-old son are now traumatised. Police Scotland have confirmed the fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing, but no arrests have been made.
"I know who did this and I have the footage of it, but you can't see his face so it's hard to prove," Courtney said. "Police have put me on red alert and they are patrolling my street. They say that the house is safe to stay in, but I am scared for our lives and terrified in my own home."
She expressed her ongoing terror, worrying the perpetrator could return. "I just keep thinking, what if he comes back next time and throws something through my letterbox and it's the house that goes up in flames? I can't sleep at night and my son is very traumatised too. He is frightened by every little noise he hears."
A Police Scotland spokesperson reiterated: "Around 2.15am on Saturday, December 27, 2025, we received a report of a vehicle on fire... The fire is being treated as wilful and enquiries are ongoing."
