Courtney Gartshore, 28, has been jailed for six years after being convicted of culpable homicide in the death of her three-month-old daughter, Dahlia-Rose, who suffered severe burns from a hairdryer. Emergency services attended a property in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, in September 2023, but the infant had already died. Gartshore was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh, following her conviction at the High Court in Aberdeen in July 2026.
According to a national broadcaster's report, the sentencing hearing took place on 14 August 2026, after the sentence had been deferred from the verdict hearing earlier that summer. The judge, Simon Collins, described the case as "uniquely disturbing and distressing," adding that it was
tragic as well as terrible.
What did the trial establish?
The jury found that Gartshore had culpably and recklessly caused Dahlia-Rose to be exposed to heat from the hairdryer while the infant was in her sole care, according to the broadcaster's coverage of the verdict. The panel reached its unanimous decision in just over an hour, on the trial's seventh day. Medical evidence presented during the trial showed that Dahlia-Rose sustained severe burns across 18% of her body surface area, including her head. Jurors were not shown photographs of the injuries during proceedings.
What did the defence argue?
Gartshore's legal team contended that the baby may have already died before sustaining the burn injuries, a claim the prosecution disputed throughout the trial. Defence expert Dr Timothy Burge told the court that the burns might not have been the cause of death, stating,
It could have been that she was already dead.Despite this argument, the jury returned a guilty verdict on the culpable homicide charge.
Has a similar case occurred before?
In a separate prosecution reported by the same broadcaster, Lyndsay Lawrence was jailed for four years in Falkirk after burning a nine-month-old boy with a hairdryer. That case saw Lawrence initially charged with attempted murder, though the jury acquitted her of that charge and instead convicted her of assault and wilful exposure to unnecessary suffering.
What led up to the conviction?
The trial had unfolded over several days in July 2026, with prosecutors presenting forensic evidence, including infant DNA found on the hairdryer itself. A 999 call played during proceedings revealed that Gartshore described the baby as having "turned purple" while she had been asleep. Gartshore had also faced additional charges relating to neglect, drug possession, and intoxication while responsible for the infant's care.
Key Facts
- Courtney Gartshore, 28, was jailed for six years for culpable homicide.
- Dahlia-Rose, three months old, died in September 2023 in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.
- The jury convicted Gartshore after just over an hour of deliberation on the trial's seventh day.
- Burns covered 18% of the infant's body surface area, including her head.
- Sentencing took place on 14 August 2026 at the High Court in Edinburgh.
