Mother who killed baby daughter in Aberdeenshire with heat from hairdryer jailed

A mother who killed her baby daughter with heat from a hairdryer has been jailed for six years.

Courtney Gartshore, 28, subjected three-month-old Dahlia-Rose to "significant and sustained heat" on the head and body, fatally injuring her.

Detective Inspector James Callander previously said: "Children are defenceless and should be protected.

"The death of any child is particularly harrowing, but a child's death at the hands of a parent is incredibly disturbing."

The incident occurred at a property in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on 30 September 2023.

Gartshore had earlier been drinking while she had been in sole charge of the infant.

Police Scotland said officers received a call from the Scottish Ambulance Service alerting them to the death.

An investigation was launched, with Gartshore subsequently arrested and charged in November 2023.

Gartshore denied culpable homicide - the Scottish equivalent of manslaughter - but was found guilty following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen in July.

She was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday.

Judge Simon Collins KC called it a "uniquely disturbing" case.

He said: "It is tragic as well as terrible. You will have to live the rest of your life with the knowledge that you were responsible for her death.

"This was a gross breach of the most basic duty as a parent."

The judge acknowledged that Gartshore had not intended to harm or kill her baby, but said she was culpable in the "highest degree" of carelessness.

He added that it "should have been obvious" that Dahlia-Rose was in "severe distress and pain".

Judge Collins said: "Notwithstanding the unanimous verdict of the jury, it is apparent that the accused still does not fully accept her guilt.

"I therefore do not accept that she has yet expressed genuine remorse for what she has done."

The Crown expert's position was that the likely cause of Dahlia-Rose's death was hyperthermia and heatstroke rather than burns.

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Defence lawyer Murray Macara described it as a "truly tragic and distressing case".

Since taken into custody, Gartshore was said to have spent approximately 23 hours a day in her cell, which he said is to ensure her own safety and protection.

He told the court Gartshore had a history of childhood trauma, mental health problems, overdoses and self-harm, but argued that she had provided appropriate care to her baby up until the night of her death.

Gartshore continues to maintain she has no recollection of using the hairdryer on her daughter.

Mr Macara said that he could not provide a reasonable or compelling explanation for why his client used the hairdryer, but he speculated the baby was cold and Gartshore may have attempted to "recklessly" use the appliance as a source of heat.

The court heard that Gartshore used the appliance on Dahlia-Rose for up to an hour, resulting in burns to approximately 18% of her body surface - particularly to her head, neck, upper body and one of her arms.

He said the injuries were "severe and disfiguring" but evidence showed they were likely "survivable".

Gartshore appeared in court via videolink wearing a navy prison uniform. She cried and was visibly emotional throughout the sentencing.

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