Mother jailed for killing baby by burning her with a hairdryer

Parent Sentenced After Infant Dies from Hairdryer Burns

Ninoda.com – A mother has received a six-year prison term after her three-month-old daughter died from severe burns inflicted with a hairdryer. Courtney Gartshore, aged 28, subjected Dahlia-Rose to prolonged and intense heat on the infant’s head and torso before emergency responders arrived at their Peterhead, Aberdeenshire home in September 2023. The baby had already passed away by the time help reached the scene.

Sentencing at the High Court

Following a trial held at Aberdeen’s High Court in July, Gartshore was convicted of culpable homicide, which serves as Scotland’s closest parallel to manslaughter. During the sentencing hearing at Edinburgh’s High Court, Judge Simon Collins KC addressed the defendant directly.

Given Dahlia-Rose’s very young age, and the horrifying way that she died, this is a uniquely disturbing and distressing case.

The judge acknowledged the tragedy while noting Gartshore’s apparent love for her child.

But it is tragic as well as terrible. And that is because the evidence suggested that the accused loved Dahlia-Rose, yet will have to live the rest of her life with the knowledge that she was responsible for her death.

Gartshore appeared through a video connection during the twenty-five-minute proceedings, visibly emotional and wiping away tears throughout.

Medical Evidence and Circumstances

Judge Collins clarified that the infant’s death did not result from ongoing neglect or abuse spanning weeks or months. Instead, he characterized it as a significant departure from what had been a generally adequate level of care. Medical experts determined that Dahlia-Rose succumbed to hyperthermia and heat stroke rather than the burns themselves. The court learned that Gartshore applied the hairdryer to her daughter for as long as sixty minutes. This exposure caused burns covering roughly eighteen percent of the baby’s body surface, with particular severity on the head, neck, upper torso, and one arm. While the injuries were described as severe and disfiguring, medical evidence indicated they were potentially survivable.

The court heard that Gartshore used the hairdryer 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.

Defence Arguments and Background

Gartshore’s legal representative, Murray Macara, characterized the situation as genuinely heartbreaking. He noted that since her arrest, his client has remained in her cell for approximately twenty-three hours each day to ensure her personal safety. Macara outlined Gartshore’s history, which includes childhood trauma, mental health challenges, previous overdoses, and self-harm incidents. Despite these difficulties, he maintained that she had been providing suitable care for her daughter until the fatal night.

Gartshore maintained that she has no recollection of using the hairdryer on her baby.

While unable to offer a definitive explanation for the hairdryer’s use, Macara suggested it was applied “culpably and recklessly” as a heat source. The jury was not required to view photographs of the injuries during proceedings.

Trial Details and Verdict

During the trial, the defence proposed that Dahlia-Rose might have already been deceased before sustaining the burn injuries. A recording of a 999 emergency call was presented to the jury, in which Gartshore reported that her child had turned “purple” while she was sleeping.

The jury was played a recording of a 999 call made by Gartshore in which she said her child had gone “purple” while she was asleep.

Forensic analysis revealed the infant’s DNA on the hairdryer. Burns specialist Dr. Timothy Burge testified that he believed the thermal injuries did not directly cause the baby’s death.

However expert witness Dr Timothy Burge, a burns specialist, told the court that it was his view the heat injuries did not cause the baby’s death . “It could have been that she was already dead,” he said.

The jury reached a unanimous guilty verdict in just over an hour. They found that Gartshore had culpably and recklessly exposed Dahlia-Rose to heat from the appliance while the child was under her exclusive care, and that the severity of the injuries proved fatal.

Gartshore was unanimously found guilty of culpably and recklessly causing Dahlia-Rose to be subjected to heat from the appliance while the child was in her sole care. The charge stated that Dahlia-Rose’s injuries were so severe that she died as a result.

The court was informed that Gartshore had consumed alcohol prior to the incident. She resided in a flat situated directly above a black car, positioned on the left side of the building.

Police Response

Following the conviction, Detective Inspector James Callander issued a statement regarding the case.

Speaking after the conviction, Det Insp James Callander 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. “Everyone involved in this investigation was deeply affected by the circumstances of Dahlia-Rose’s death, but our job is to uncover the truth and ensure that the person

Gartshore appeared in court wearing a navy blue prison uniform, remaining visibly emotional throughout the entire sentencing process.