A 28-year-old mother has been sentenced to six years in prison for the culpable homicide of her infant daughter. Courtney Gartshore was convicted of killing her three-month-old daughter, Dahlia-Rose, by exposing her to intense heat from a hairdryer.
The incident occurred in September 2023 at an address in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Dahlia-Rose suffered burns to approximately 18 percent of her body, primarily on her head, neck, upper body, and one arm. The severity of the injuries was so extreme that a responding paramedic initially mistook the child's condition for decomposition. Medical experts stated they had never encountered a similar case.
During her trial at the High Court in Aberdeen in July, Gartshore denied the charges, initially telling friends and family that her daughter had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Evidence presented to the court included a 999 call in which Gartshore reported her baby had turned 'purple' while sleeping. CCTV footage showed Gartshore returning home after a night of drinking with friends around 4 a.m. on the day of the incident, and she later called emergency services around 9:40 a.m., claiming she had found her baby dead without mentioning the hairdryer.
Sentencing Gartshore at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Simon Collins KC ruled that while Gartshore did not intend to kill or harm her baby, her actions constituted the "highest degree" of carelessness. The judge stated it should have been "obvious" that the infant was in severe distress and pain, calling the act a "gross breach of the most basic duty as a parent." The likely cause of Dahlia-Rose's death was determined to be hyperthermia and heat stroke.
Gartshore's defense lawyer speculated that the baby might have been cold and the hairdryer was "recklessly" used as a heat source, though no definitive explanation was provided. A defense expert witness suggested the baby might have already been deceased, but a jury found Gartshore guilty of culpable homicide by a unanimous verdict after deliberating for just over an hour.
Investigators confirmed the baby's DNA was found on the hairdryer, and Gartshore and Dahlia-Rose were the only individuals present in the home at the time of the incident. Detective Inspector James Callander commented on the case, stating, "Children are defenseless 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." He commended the efforts of officers, partner agencies, and the community for their support during the sensitive investigation.
Gartshore's solicitor also noted that she has suffered from mental health issues. The court heard that the baby's DNA was found on the appliance, and Gartshore and the child were the only people in the property when the baby died.
