Mother appeals conviction for baby daughter's heat-related death

Courtney Gartshore, 28, has initiated an appeal against both her conviction and sentence for the culpable homicide of her three-month-old daughter, DahliaRose. The appeal process was confirmed by court officials on Monday, August 31, 2026, following the lodging of an intimation of intention to appeal. Gartshore was sentenced to six years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 14, 2026, after being found guilty at the High Court in Aberdeen in July 2026.

The fatal incident occurred at a property on King Street in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on September 30, 2023. The court heard that Gartshore had been drinking while in sole charge of the infant. She subjected DahliaRose to significant and sustained heat on her head and body using a hairdryer, which was later found in the bedroom with the baby's DNA on its nozzle. The Crown's expert position was that the likely cause of death was hyperthermia and heatstroke, though the infant also suffered extensive burns.

Gartshore made a 999 call on the morning of October 1, 2023, claiming she had woken to find her daughter dead. She told the operator, "I just woke up and her head is all purple," and confirmed the baby was beyond...