On Friday, August 14, 2026, a courtroom in Edinburgh became the final chapter in one of Scotland’s most distressing child death cases in recent memory. Judge Collins, presiding over the High Court of Justiciary, sentenced 28-year-old Courtney Gartshore to six years in prison for the culpable homicide of her three-month-old daughter, Dahlia-Rose Gartshore.
The infant died on September 30, 2023, at the family home on King Street in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, after being subjected to prolonged and intense heat from a hairdryer while in her mother’s sole care. Emergency services were called that morning, but Dahlia-Rose was pronounced dead at the scene.
The case sent shockwaves through the northeast of Scotland and raised painful questions about parental responsibility, alcohol use, and the safety of the most vulnerable members of society. What follows is a thorough, fact-based account of what happened, how the investigation unfolded, what the courts determined, and why this case carries lasting significance.
What Happened to Baby Dahlia-Rose Gartshore
The Night of September 29-30, 2023
According to evidence presented at trial, Gartshore spent the evening of September 29, 2023, socializing with friends and neighbours. She had consumed a significant amount of alcohol throughout the night, and she did not return home until approximately 4:00 a.m. on September 30.
During this entire period, three-month-old Dahlia-Rose was with her. Gartshore was the sole adult responsible for the baby’s care.
Witnesses who saw the pair that evening noted concerning signs. One neighbour, Leanne Thomson, who was meeting Gartshore for the first time, described being left alone with Dahlia-Rose in her pram while Gartshore went off to continue socializing. Thomson told the court the baby appeared cold, describing her skin as very pale and noting the baby needed a blanket. Thomson also described Gartshore as drunk but functional, and said she had been talking about wanting to continue partying.
The Fatal Injuries
Sometime between approximately 4:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on September 30, Gartshore caused Dahlia-Rose to be exposed to sustained and significant heat from a hairdryer. The device was later found plugged into the wall beside Gartshore’s bed.
The burns covered approximately 18% of the baby’s total body surface area, concentrated on her head, face, neck, upper body, and right arm. Judge Collins described the injuries as both severe and disfiguring.
Medical experts called by the prosecution concluded that the likely cause of death was hyperthermia and heatstroke, rather than the burns themselves. Put simply, Dahlia-Rose’s tiny body overheated fatally. While the burns were horrific, Crown experts testified that the burn injuries alone were technically survivable.
The defence’s medical expert offered a different theory, suggesting that Dahlia-Rose may have already been dead from a sudden and unexplained cause before the hairdryer was used on her. The jury unanimously rejected that argument.
The Morning After
At approximately 9:40 a.m. on September 30, a friend of Gartshore’s named Miss Smith received a phone call. Through sobs, Miss Smith told the court she heard Gartshore screaming that Dahlia-Rose was dead.
The Scottish Ambulance Service was contacted and relayed the information to Police Scotland. Officers arrived at the King Street address. Dahlia-Rose was pronounced dead at the scene.
Crucially, Judge Collins noted during sentencing that before emergency services arrived, Gartshore had moved Dahlia-Rose’s body from the bedroom onto the balcony of the flat. She then denied to others that she had any knowledge of how the baby had been burned or that she had used the hairdryer that morning. The judge said this behaviour indicated an attempt to conceal her role in the death.
The Investigation and Arrest
Police Scotland launched an immediate investigation into Dahlia-Rose’s death. Detective Inspector James Callander led the inquiry, which he later described as one of the most sensitive and emotionally difficult his team had ever handled.
When officers arrived at the flat, they found it in a state of disarray. Although a health visitor had noted the home as clean and tidy in the weeks before, the flat was now messy, with rubbish bags scattered around and dirty dishes piled in the bedroom. Dahlia-Rose’s cot was being used for storage rather than as a sleeping space for the baby. Instead, the infant had been routinely co-sleeping with Gartshore in her bed, despite health professionals having warned her about the risks associated with this practice.
Following detailed forensic analysis, witness interviews, and expert medical consultations, Gartshore was arrested and charged in November 2023, approximately two months after Dahlia-Rose’s death. Her address at the time of arrest was listed as Dennis Close, Midstocket, Aberdeen.
DI Callander, in a statement after the conviction, said the investigation was difficult for everyone involved.
He noted that the death of any child is particularly harrowing, but the death of a child at the hands of a parent is profoundly disturbing. He thanked partner agencies and the Peterhead community for their cooperation, patience, and willingness to come forward with information.
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The Trial at Aberdeen High Court
Trial Timeline
The case was brought before the High Court of Justiciary in Aberdeen, with preliminary proceedings beginning on Monday, July 6, 2026. The trial itself commenced the following day.
Judge Simon Collins presided over proceedings. Murray Macara KC served as defence counsel, while advocate depute Alan Cameron KC represented the Crown.
Gartshore was charged with culpable homicide. The formal charge stated that, having consumed alcohol and while in sole charge of Dahlia-Rose, she culpably and recklessly caused the infant to be subjected to significant and sustained heat from a hairdryer on her head and body, resulting in injuries so severe that the baby died.
It is important to note that all other charges initially filed against Gartshore were dropped before the trial progressed. The single remaining charge of culpable homicide was the sole focus of proceedings.
Key Evidence Presented
The prosecution built its case around several core pillars. Medical testimony established the cause of death as hyperthermia and heatstroke. Forensic evidence confirmed the hairdryer’s location beside the bed and the pattern of burns on Dahlia-Rose’s body. Witness testimony reconstructed Gartshore’s movements and level of intoxication throughout the evening and early morning. The condition of the home and the baby’s sleeping arrangements also formed part of the Crown’s narrative.
The defence, led by Macara, argued that Dahlia-Rose may have already died from another cause before the hairdryer was used. This was the central dispute of the trial.
The Verdict
On July 16, 2026, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of guilty. Every member of the jury rejected the defence’s theory and agreed beyond reasonable doubt that it was the heat from the hairdryer that caused Dahlia-Rose’s death.
Sentencing: Judge Collins’ Remarks
Gartshore appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Friday, August 14, 2026, via video link. She wore a navy prison uniform and was visibly emotional, crying throughout the proceedings.
Judge Collins delivered a detailed sentencing statement that laid out his reasoning with precision.
BREAKING: Courtney Gartshore, 28, who killed her three-month-old daughter Dahlia-Rose with heat from a hairdryer, has been jailed for six years.
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Not a Murder Case
The judge was clear in stating that this was not a murder case. The Crown had never alleged that Gartshore intended to harm or kill her daughter. Instead, this was a case of culpable homicide resulting from what Collins described as a high degree of carelessness or gross recklessness. In Scottish law, this is a less serious category of homicide, and it calls for a less severe sentence than murder would demand.
Assessing Culpability
Judge Collins identified two competing factors when assessing how responsible Gartshore was.
On one hand, the judge acknowledged that this was not a case where death was the culmination of weeks or months of repeated parental neglect or abuse. He called it a gross aberration from what had otherwise been a mostly satisfactory standard of care. There had been social work involvement with Gartshore’s older child, but not with Dahlia-Rose.
On the other hand, the judge noted that the hairdryer must have been turned on, positioned close to the baby, and left running for at least 20 minutes and possibly as long as an hour. During this time, it should have been obvious that Dahlia-Rose was suffering severe burns, experiencing significant distress and pain. Judge Collins framed this as a failure to act in the face of what should have been clearly visible suffering.
He assessed Gartshore’s overall culpability as “medium level.” The harm caused, however, was classified at the highest level, because the result was the death of an infant child.
Aggravating Factors
The judge identified four key aggravating factors.
First, Dahlia-Rose’s extreme youth, vulnerability, and total dependence on Gartshore as her mother. The offence represented a fundamental breach of the most basic parental duty: keeping a child safe.
Second, Gartshore committed the offence while under the influence of alcohol. The criminal justice social work report confirmed that alcohol misuse had been a long-standing problem for Gartshore.
Third, Gartshore attempted to conceal her involvement by moving Dahlia-Rose’s body to the balcony before emergency services arrived and by denying to others that she knew how the baby was burned or that she had used the hairdryer.
Fourth, despite the jury’s unanimous guilty verdict, Gartshore still did not fully accept her guilt. The judge therefore could not accept that she had expressed genuine remorse.
Mitigating Factors
Two mitigating factors were also acknowledged.
Gartshore had no prior criminal convictions.
She was a young, single mother with a documented history of poor mental health. She had stopped taking medication during her pregnancy. Gartshore had limited support and was also caring for an older child. Since Dahlia-Rose’s death, Gartshore had attempted to take her own life.
Judge Collins emphasized that none of this excused her conduct, but he said it would be wrong not to recognise these circumstances for purposes of sentencing.
The Sentence
The judge set a starting point of 4 years, with a range of 3 to 7 years. Weighing the aggravating factors against the mitigating ones, he settled on a sentence of 6 years imprisonment, backdated to July 16, 2026, the date Gartshore was first taken into custody.
He also noted that the criminal justice social work report had suggested post-release supervision could be beneficial. However, Collins determined that the legal tests required for an extended sentence were not met, and he declined to impose one.
What Is Culpable Homicide Under Scottish Law
For readers outside of Scotland, the legal terminology in this case may require some context.
Culpable homicide is the Scots law equivalent of what is called manslaughter in England, Wales, and many other jurisdictions. It applies when one person causes the death of another, but the killing does not meet the legal threshold for murder because there was no intent to kill and no wicked recklessness of the kind associated with a murder conviction.
Under Scottish law, murder carries a mandatory life sentence. Culpable homicide, by contrast, does not carry a mandatory minimum. Judges have full discretion to impose any sentence from community service to a lengthy prison term, depending on the facts.
According to Scottish Government criminal proceedings data, the average sentence for culpable homicide convictions in Scotland in recent years has been approximately seven years, though individual cases can differ widely based on circumstances.
Gartshore’s six-year sentence falls slightly below that average but within the range Judge Collins outlined as appropriate for the level of recklessness involved.
Defence Lawyer’s Statements
Murray Macara KC, representing Gartshore, described the case as truly tragic and distressing.
He told the court he could not provide a reasonable or compelling explanation for why Gartshore used the hairdryer on Dahlia-Rose. He speculated that the baby may have been cold after spending much of the night outdoors in a pram, and that Gartshore may have attempted to warm her using the hairdryer in a reckless manner.
Gartshore maintained throughout that she has no recollection of using the hairdryer on her baby.
Macara also informed the court about Gartshore’s conditions in custody since her conviction. He said she had been spending approximately 23 hours per day confined to her cell, a measure he said was in place for her own safety and protection.
Murray Macara KC further detailed Gartshore’s history, including childhood trauma, mental health difficulties, overdoses, and self-harm. He argued that, until the night of Dahlia-Rose’s death, Gartshore had provided what he called appropriate care for the infant.
Similar Cases in Scottish Courts: Context and Comparison
The Gartshore case is not the first time a Scottish court has dealt with harm to a young child caused by a hairdryer.
In May 2024, Lyndsay Lawrence, 29, of Camelon near Falkirk, was sentenced to four years at the High Court in Edinburgh. Lawrence was found guilty of assaulting a nine-month-old boy in her care to severe injury and the danger of his life, including burning his body with a hairdryer and fracturing his skull. In that case, the child survived, but suffered serious harm. Lawrence was assessed as having high culpability because the injuries were clearly intentional.
The Gartshore case is distinct in important ways. The Crown never argued that Gartshore intended to hurt her baby. Instead, the prosecution case rested entirely on gross recklessness. The infant in this case did not survive. These differences help explain both the different charge (culpable homicide versus assault) and the different sentence length.
In another Scottish case, Thomas Dunn of Arbroath was sentenced to seven years at the High Court in Edinburgh after putting a 13-month-old girl inside a clothes dryer, causing the machine to activate. Dunn was convicted of culpable and reckless conduct.
These cases collectively illustrate how Scotland’s courts have dealt with incidents where everyday household appliances have been used in ways that caused devastating harm to very young children.
Why This Case Matters
Child Safety and Parental Responsibility
This case puts a sharp focus on the responsibilities of parents, particularly when alcohol is involved. Judge Collins made clear that Gartshore’s drinking played a significant role in what happened. The criminal justice social work report confirmed that alcohol misuse had been an ongoing issue in her life.
The broader point is one that child protection advocates have stressed for years: infants are entirely dependent on the adults around them. When those adults are impaired, whether by alcohol, substances, or extreme fatigue, the risks to a baby rise dramatically.
Co-Sleeping Risks
Evidence at trial revealed that Dahlia-Rose was routinely co-sleeping with her mother despite health visitors having warned against the practice. While co-sleeping is a subject of ongoing debate among parents and medical professionals, major health bodies in Scotland, including NHS Scotland, continue to advise against sharing a bed with an infant, particularly when the adult has consumed alcohol.
In January 2024, Scotland’s Solicitor General Ruth Charteris KC issued a public statement urging families to follow safer sleeping guidance, prompted by a number of COPFS investigations into sudden and unexpected infant deaths. The Gartshore case adds another painful data point to that concern.
The Limits of Social Services Intervention
Judge Collins noted during sentencing that there had been social work involvement with Gartshore’s older child, but not with Dahlia-Rose. This raises questions about whether earlier intervention could have identified the risks present in the household. While no social services system can prevent every tragedy, cases like this one inevitably prompt reassessment of how families with known vulnerabilities are monitored.
Police Scotland’s Response
Detective Inspector James Callander’s statement following the conviction was notable for its tone. He acknowledged the emotional toll the case took on investigators and praised both the community and partner agencies for their support.
Inspector James noted that children are defenceless and should be protected, and described the death of a child at a parent’s hands as incredibly disturbing. Inspector James called for the public to continue coming forward with information in cases where children may be at risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Courtney Gartshore?
Courtney Gartshore is a 28-year-old woman from Aberdeen, Scotland. She was convicted of the culpable homicide of her three-month-old daughter, Dahlia-Rose Gartshore, in July 2026 and sentenced to six years in prison in August 2026.
What happened to baby Dahlia-Rose Gartshore?
Dahlia-Rose died on September 30, 2023, at the family home in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. The infant was subjected to prolonged heat from a hairdryer, suffering burns to approximately 18% of her body. The medical cause of death was determined to be hyperthermia and heatstroke.
What is culpable homicide in Scotland?
Culpable homicide is the Scottish legal term for causing someone’s death without the intent required for a murder charge. It is roughly equivalent to manslaughter in English and Welsh law. Unlike murder, it does not carry a mandatory life sentence. Judges have wide discretion in sentencing.
How long was Courtney Gartshore sentenced?
Judge Collins sentenced Gartshore to six years in prison. The sentence was backdated to July 16, 2026, the date she was first taken into custody following her conviction.
Where did the trial take place?
The trial took place at the High Court of Justiciary in Aberdeen during July 2026. Sentencing was delivered at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 14, 2026.
Was this considered murder?
No. The Crown did not allege that Gartshore intended to harm or kill Dahlia-Rose. The charge was culpable homicide, based on gross recklessness rather than intent.
Did Gartshore explain why she used the hairdryer?
No. Gartshore told investigators and her social worker that she has no recollection of using the hairdryer on the baby. Her defence lawyer speculated she may have been trying to warm the infant after a cold night outside.
Were there prior concerns about child welfare in the household?
There had been social work involvement with Gartshore’s older child, but no social services intervention had been initiated specifically in relation to Dahlia-Rose.
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Last Updated on August 14, 2026 by 247 News Around The World
