{"success":true,"data":{"id":"c6e3953c-a73a-4f65-bfcb-40edde78385e","title":"Mother guilty over baby's hairdryer burns death","summary":"Mother guilty over baby's hairdryer burns death Image source, Supplied Image caption, Dahlia-Rose Gartshore died in September 2023 By Ken Banks North East Scotland reporter,Reporting from High Court in Aberdeen Published 16 July 2026, 16:28 BST A mother has been found guilty of killing her baby daug...","content":"# Mother guilty over baby's hairdryer burns death\n\n![Image 1: Dahlia-Rose Gartshore, a baby girl with a dummy in her mouth wearing a pink romper suit](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/954/cpsprodpb/c807/live/03748eb0-8116-11f1-9ec3-fd524648df46.jpg)Image source, Supplied\n\nImage caption, \n\nDahlia-Rose Gartshore died in September 2023\n\nBy Ken Banks\n\nNorth East Scotland reporter,Reporting from High Court in Aberdeen\n\n*   Published 16 July 2026, 16:28 BST \n\n**A mother has been found guilty of killing her baby daughter due to heat from a hairdryer.**\n\nCourtney Gartshore, 28, denied culpable homicide of three-month-old Dahlia-Rose in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, in September 2023.\n\nThe jury took just over an hour to return a guilty verdict on the seventh day of the trial.\n\nGartshore, who sobbed as she was led from the dock at the High Court in Aberdeen, will be sentenced next month.\n\n![Image 2: A mugshot of a young woman with long dark hair. ](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/1800/cpsprodpb/385e/live/a62adbc0-8141-11f1-b976-0b9c15b0ccfc.jpg)Image source, Police Scotland\n\nImage caption, \n\nPolice issued a mugshot of Gartshore after she was found guilty\n\nShe was unanimously found guilty of culpably and recklessly causing Dahlia-Rose to be subjected to heat from the appliance while the child was in her sole care.\n\nThe charge stated that Dahlia-Rose's injuries were so severe that she died as a result.\n\nThe trial heard Gartshore had consumed alcohol beforehand.\n\nOther charges she had originally faced were dropped by the Crown during the trial.\n\nImage caption, \n\nGartshore was remanded in custody\n\nThe court was told that Dahlia-Rose had suffered burns to 18% of the surface area of her body.\n\nIt also heard that [the infant's DNA was found on a hairdryer](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07y39k853ko).\n\nAnd the jury was played a recording of a 999 call made by Gartshore in which she said her[child had gone \"purple\" while she was asleep](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjrgvxwexj3o).\n\nHowever expert witness Dr Timothy Burge, a burns specialist, told the court that it was his view the [heat injuries did not cause the baby's death](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20yqe414z6o).\n\n\"It could have been that she was already dead,\" he said.\n\n## 'Heartbreaking event'\n\nAdvocate depute Alan Cameron, prosecuting, described the case as an \"awful, heartbreaking event\".\n\nIn his closing speech, he said that there were only two people in the property, Courtney Gartshore and Dahlia-Rose, and therefore only the accused could have turned it on.\n\nHe referred to evidence from witnesses who saw no injuries on Dahlia-Rose's body in the hours before her death.\n\nThe advocate depute told the jury that they did not need to answer the question of why the hairdryer was turned on, but pointed to alcohol consumption and intoxication as a possible explanation.\n\nHe told the jury that they couldn't be moved by \"sympathy or prejudice\" and invited them to find Courtney Gartshore guilty of culpable homicide.\n\nMurray Macara, KC, defending, said in his closing speech that the charge stated the injuries were what killed the baby - and suggested the \"necessary causal connection\" between the hairdryer and the death had not been made.\n\n## 'Incredibly disturbing'\n\nJudge Simon Collins said it had been a \"disturbing\" case.\n\nHe deferred sentence to the High Court in Edinburgh on 14 August, and remanded Gartshore in custody.\n\nThe judge thanked the jury, and told them counselling services are available if needed.\n\nSpeaking after the conviction, Det Insp James Callander said: \"Children are defenceless and should be protected.\n\n\"The death of any child is particularly harrowing, but a child's death at the hands of a parent is incredibly disturbing.\n\n\"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.\"\n\n## Related topics\n\n## More on this story\n\n    \n\n    *   Published 1 day ago \n\n    \n\n    *   Published 6 days ago \n\n    \n\n    *   Published 8 July \n\n## The video playlist\n\nWatch our pick of standout clips from across the BBC\n\nPrevious Next\n\n*   0:48 Fake Bellingham quotes spread online after England World Cup loss. 00:00:48, play video Fake Bellingham quotes spread online after England World Cup loss![Image 7: Jude Bellingham with his right hand on his forehead, wearing the England kit](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/400/cpsprodpb/7ca1/live/0ff6eb90-813b-11f1-926f-c90d1bcfbc84.jpg) \n*   0:36 New monkey species found in forest. 00:00:36, play video New monkey species found in forest![Image 8: The image shows a newly discovered species of monkey looking down towards the camera from the branch of a leafy tree, in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo. 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