Mother Jailed for Six Years After Killing Baby With Hairdryer

A 28-year-old woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for killing her three-month-old daughter by subjecting the infant to sustained heat from a hairdryer. Courtney Gartshore was jailed at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, August 14, 2026, following her conviction for culpable homicide last month.

The court heard that Gartshore fatally injured her daughter, DahliaRose Gartshore, at their home on King Street in Peterhead. The incident occurred in September 2023. Prosecutors stated that Gartshore used the appliance to subject the baby to significant and sustained heat on her head and body while she was the child's sole carer. The infant suffered burns to 18 percent of her body and was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency services arrived.

Evidence presented during the trial at the High Court in Aberdeen included testimony from a paramedic who described finding the baby's hand dark grey or black with skin peeling off. Material containing the baby's DNA was found on the nozzle of a hairdryer recovered from the bedroom. The court also heard that Gartshore had consumed alcohol before the incident.

Gartshore had made a 999 call on the morning of September 20, 2023,...