A mother who stormed out of her gender reveal party in a fury after learning she was expecting a girl has been convicted of murdering that same newborn daughter. Nicole Blain, 30, was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow of killing 19-day-old Thea Jane Wilson in July 2023.
The court heard that Blain's anger at the gender reveal, captured on video in February 2023, was echoed in the violence she later inflicted on her baby. Pathologists described Thea's injuries as consistent with being violently shaken and repeatedly hit against a hard surface, comparable to those seen in high-speed car crash victims.
On the day of the killing, Blain had been due to take Thea to her paternal grandmother's home in Ayrshire. Instead, the grandmother's husband received a call from Blain, during which he heard piercing screams from the baby. Blain mumbled that she did not know what to do and was told to call an ambulance.
Blain initially claimed she had woken from a nap to find Thea on the floor, then later blamed another child in the flat. However, a pathologist ruled that the injuries could not have been caused by a child dropping the baby. Thea had skull fractures, rib injuries consistent with chest compression, and neck damage from forceful shaking.
Sentencing was deferred for reports. Lord Scott told jurors the case was a “thankfully unusual case involving the murder of a baby”. Blain cried hysterically as she was led to the cells and will return to court next month.
