Woman sentenced for attempted murder of toddler by poisoning

A Scottish woman has been sentenced to an order of lifelong restriction and a minimum of six years in prison for the attempted murder of a toddler she repeatedly poisoned with unprescribed adult medication. Laura Docherty, 35, from Glenrothes, was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh in December 2025 and received her sentence at the same court on Monday, August 17, 2026.

The court heard that Docherty administered drugs including Amitriptyline, Propranolol, and Dihydrocodeine to the child on various occasions between April 2021 and February 2023. The victim, who was two years old when the abuse began, suffered seizures, reduced consciousness, and cardiac events, requiring resuscitation and ventilation on multiple occasions. The child was also subjected to unnecessary medical investigations and procedures as a result of the poisoning.

Medical staff raised concerns in February 2023, prompting a police investigation. Docherty was arrested and charged in May 2023. She denied the allegations but was unanimously convicted by a jury.

Sentencing her, Judge Michael O’Grady KC described the conduct as “utterly reckless and breathtakingly wicked,” stating that Docherty came within a...