Courtney Gartshore, 28, has been jailed for six years for killing her three-month-old daughter, Dahlia-Rose, by exposing the child to heat from a hairdryer. The sentence was handed down at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, August 14, after Gartshore was found guilty of culpable homicide.
Incident and Investigation
Police were called to a property in Peterhead by the Scottish Ambulance Service on September 20, 2023, where Dahlia-Rose was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation was launched, and Gartshore was arrested and charged in November that year.
During the trial, jurors heard that Dahlia-Rose suffered burns to 18 per cent of her body. The infant's DNA was subsequently found on the hairdryer. Gartshore was said to have consumed alcohol and taken the Class B drug mephedrone while she was the baby's sole carer.
Trial and Verdict
Gartshore denied culpable homicide but was found guilty of culpably and recklessly causing Dahlia-Rose to be exposed to heat from a hairdryer. Other charges she originally faced were dropped by the Crown before the case went to the jury. Jurors took just over an hour to reach their unanimous verdict on the seventh day of the trial on Thursday, July 16.
Gartshore broke down in tears as she was led from the dock. Stacey Gartshore, Courtney's sister and Dahlia-Rose's aunt, shared a tribute to her niece after the verdict, saying: "Well, my beautiful little darling - I can finally look at your photos and say I hope your beautiful wee soul is finally at peace now. Justice was served and rightfully so."
Police Response
Detective Inspector 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." He expressed thanks to officers, partner agencies, and the local community for their support during the investigation.
