Mum cries in court as she is found guilty of killing baby with hairdryer
A Scottish mother has been found guilty of culpable homicide following the death of her three-month-old daughter.
Courtney Gartshore had denied being responsible for the death of her daughter Dahlia-Rose after she died at her mother's home on 30 September 2023.
She was later arrested in November 2023, following an investigation into her daughter's death, and charged with 'culpably and recklessly' causing Dahlia-Rose's death after exposing her to heat from a hairdryer.
The 28-year-old had denied responsibility for the infant's death, telling friends and family that she believed Dahlia-Rose had passed away from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
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During the trial, the Aberdeen court heard that Dahlia-Rose had suffered burns to 18 percent of her body's surface following heat exposure from the appliance, while the infant's DNA was also found on the hairdryer.
The court also conducted a number of heat tests on the hairdryer recovered from Gartshore's room, revealing that it reached a temperature of 80C on a medium setting and 90C on the high setting, according to the BBC.
An 'incredibly disturbing' case
It's said that Dahlia-Rose's injuries had been so severe that a paramedic attending the scene believed the infant was 'decomposing'.
A 999 call was also played to the jury during the trial, in which Gartshore can be heard telling emergency services that her daughter had 'turned purple'.
One expert was called to Gartshore's defence during the trial, with burns expert Timothy Burge suggesting that he believed Dahlia-Rose had not died from the heat injuries present on her body, telling jurors: "It could have been that she was already dead."
Defending, Murray Macara, KC, added that a 'necessary causal connection' between the hairdryer and the baby's death had not been made.
However, advocate depute Alan Cameron, prosecuting, maintained that Gartshore and Dahlia-Rose were the only two people in the property that night, concluding that she was the only person who could've turned the appliance on.
He told the jury they did not need to answer the question of why the hairdryer had been turned on, but suggested that alcohol intoxication could've been a possible factor.
'Far too late for that'
It took the jury just over an hour to return a guilty verdict, with Gartshore set to be sentenced on Friday, 14 August, 2026.
The Sun reports she broke down in tears before the verdict was announced, and wept louder as she was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, while someone said from the gallery: “It’s far too late for that.”
Following the verdict, 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.
“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 responsible is brought to justice."
The statement continued: "I would like to express sincere thanks to everyone who supported what was an incredibly difficult and sensitive enquiry."
According to MailOnline, Judge Simon Collins acknowledged the 'incredibly disturbing' nature of the case, telling jurors that counselling services were available if they needed them.
"We can all agree this had been a very distressing and disturbing case," he said.
Brenna Cooper