Mum found guilty of killing baby daughter with hairdryer in Aberdeenshire

WARNING: This article contains details some readers may find distressing

A woman has been found guilty of killing her baby daughter due to the heat from a hairdryer.

Courtney Gartshore was accused of taking alcohol and the class B stimulant mephedrone while in the “sole care” of three-month-old Dahlia Rose Gartshore at a property in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on September 30, 2023.

The 27-year-old had denied culpable homicide but was found guilty of causing the child to be subjected to significant and sustained heat on her head and body from the hairdryer.

Dahlia-Rose’s injuries were so severe that she died.

A trial at the High Court in Aberdeen heard the 999 call placed by Gartshore, where she claimed that she had woken up that morning to find her daughter, Dahlia-Rose, dead in their home.

Gartshore told the operator: “I just woke up and her head is all purple.”

The operator asked if Dahila-Rose is “beyond help”, to which Gartshore replied “yeah”.

Gartshore went on to tell the operator, “…her skin is peeling off and everything.”

The mum told the operator that the baby had been “perfectly fine” the day before.

Shona Helm, who was one of the first paramedics on the scene, described finding the baby as “distressing”.

She told the court Dahlia-Rose’s hand was “dark grey or black” and “all the skin was peeling off”.

Courtney Gartshore covered her face as she attended her trial. STV News

The court had heard from a nearby neighbour who had described hearing Gartshore, with Dahlia-Rose in a pram, shouting near her home in Peterhead hours before the emergency call was made.

The woman told the court she and another neighbour went out to see Gartshore.

She said when she touched Dahlia-Rose’s face and noticed she was “frozen, pure white” and said she had told Gartshore her daughter needed a blanket.

The court also heard that material containing DNA belonging to the baby was found on the nozzle of a hairdryer.

The hairdryer was found in the bedroom of the Gartshores’ home following the baby’s death.

Gartshore is due to be sentenced on August 14.

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.

“I would like to express sincere thanks to everyone who supported what was an incredibly difficult and sensitive enquiry.

“The unwavering commitment and professionalism shown by our officers and partner agencies who worked tirelessly to ensure this complex enquiry was conducted thoroughly and with the utmost care, dignity, and respect.

“I also want to acknowledge the local community, for their patience, understanding and support throughout this investigation, particularly those who came forward with information, whose cooperation has been invaluable in helping us establish the truth and secure this conviction.”