A Livingston man walking his dog found himself under attack from an alien spaceship on day in 1979. RICK HALE tells the story…
Nobody ever expects the unexpected. I know this may sound simplistic, but most never experience anything that even approaches the inexplicable.
Nevertheless, every once in a while a person finds themselves smack dab in the middle of a situation so bizarre and frightening it can only he described as illogical.
Such was the case with Robert Taylor, a forestry worker from the town of Livingston, West Lothian Scotland.
When he came face to face with otherworldly beings and his hometown earned itself the nickname, ‘The twilight zone.’
On a cool late autumn day in November 1979, Taylor did the same thing he did every single day, take his dog for a walk along a footpath that led to Dechmont Law. A hill not far from his home.
Encounter With the Bizarre
As Taylor and his dog walked along the path, his dog began to let out a frightened whine and a low growl. It was as if his typically friendly dog was scared of something only he could see.
Taylor was about to pick his dog up when he sensed a strange shift in the environment.
The very air became thicker and charged with what could only be described as static electricity. And the birds, usually vibrant and chirping, fell silent.
And there was a strange smell to the air. Almost as if a large truck came to an abrupt stop causing it’s brakes to catch fire.
As he stood there, the pungent odour assaulting his nose, his attention was drawn skyward to a craft soundlessly descending from the sky.
He would later describe it as a flying dome, or a large circular sphere, approximately 6.4 metres in diameter.
Attack of the Spacecraft
With his curiosity overcoming his reason, Taylor, watched as the craft hovered directly overhead.
Suddenly, his baser instincts kicked in and his curiosity was replaced by fear. His mind screamed at him that whatever this thing was, it meant him harm.
Taylor watched in horror as two smaller objects broke away from the object and swiftly flew in his direction.
He tried to flee but whatever these things were seized him and dragged his body across the dirt and stones of the path.
They were bringing him to the larger object and Taylor did everything he could to free himself. And then, everything went black.
Taylor Awakens
According to Taylor, he woke up after an indeterminate amount of time and just laid on the ground desperately attempting to make sense of what just happened.
When he sat up he inspected himself. His clothes were torn and ripped and his upper body was covered in scratches and bruises.
After giving himself a good once over, he looked around to see that he was in fact alone. No stench, no sphere. His attackers, or whatever they were now gone.
His mind still a blur, Taylor tried to start his truck with no luck. So, Robert Taylor decided to make the trek home on foot.
Police investigation
When he arrived home, his wife rushed out of the house to meet him in near hysterics.
When he didn’t return home she began to panic that something terrible had happened to him.
She looked him over at the ripped clothes and injuries and feared that some highwayman roughed him up.
Mrs Taylor immediately phoned the police and their family physician to look her husband over. Clearly he had been assaulted and his assailants must be caught.
When the police arrived expecting to take an assault report, they discovered a dazed and confused Robert Taylor.
He sat quietly as the doctor cleaned his wounds and bandaged them.
The officers began to question him but he sat just sat there staring at them.
Robert looked at everyone in the room and launched into his bizarre tale that may, or may not, make him look like a madman.
After explaining to the police the horrific events that transpired near Dechmont Law. He was afraid they would surely drag him off to a mental hospital.
But, the police surprised him. They appeared to believe his story and suggested they take a ride to the footpath and inspect the area for any evidence.
Evidence of Taylor’s Tale
When they arrived at Dechmont Law, they found evidence that back up the victimised man’s story.
They found what appeared to be ladder marks on the ground. And marks through the gravel that was consistent with a body being dragged.
When the police concluded their investigation they classified it as an assault by unknown assailants. And there is nothing more unknown than the unexplained.
Sadly, Robert Taylor is no longer among us having passed from this world in 2007.
In his memory and to commemorate the bizarre event that changed his life, a plaque was erected at the site of the assault by the UFO.
Robert Taylor, UFO experiencer went to his grave maintaining his story that on that November morning in 1979, he was attacked by a UFO.
He will forever be remembered that his experience was the only time that a UFO sighting was the subject of a criminal investigation.
