A 28-year-old woman has been sentenced to six years in prison in Scotland after being found guilty of the death of her three-month-old daughter, whom she exposed to high temperatures for a long period using a hair dryer.
Courtney Gartsor was found guilty of manslaughter after a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen last July.
The incident took place in September 2023, at a flat in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire. Emergency services were called to the flat, but the baby, Dalia-Rose, had died.
While rushing to take his daughter to the Durrës hospital, the driver loses control of the car and overturns in the middle of the road.
According to data made public during the trial, the baby had suffered severe burns on about 18% of its body surface, including its head.
Judge: “An extremely shocking case”
During sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Simon Collins called the case “extremely shocking and distressing”, describing it as a “tragic and horrific” event.
Gartsor followed the hearing via video link. During the proceedings, she cried and repeatedly wiped away tears.
The judge declared that the 28-year-old will have to live the rest of her life with the knowledge that she was responsible for her daughter’s death.
Her lawyer, Murray Macara, said Gartsor did not recall using the hair dryer. He added that he could not provide a “logical or convincing” explanation for using the device, suggesting that the baby could have been cold and the mother had tried to warm him up.
The baby had burns on 18% of his body.
During the trial, it was revealed that Dalia-Rose had suffered severe burns to 18% of her body, including her head. Due to the severe nature of the injuries, the jury was not shown photographs of the baby’s wounds.
The court also learned that Gartsor had consumed alcohol before the incident.
The court also heard a recording of the 28-year-old’s call to emergency services. She stated that the child had turned “purple” while she herself was asleep.
Investigations also revealed traces of the baby’s DNA on the hair dryer.
However, burn expert Dr. Timothy Burge testified that, in his opinion, thermal injuries did not cause the baby’s death. He stated that the baby “could have been dead by now.”
The defense also argued that Dalia-Rose could have died before suffering the burns.
The jury, however, reached a unanimous verdict of guilty after just over an hour of deliberations.
Gartsor was found guilty of culpably and negligently exposing the girl to the heat of the device while she was in her full care.
“Children are vulnerable and must be protected”
After the sentencing, Inspector James Callander said the case had deeply affected everyone involved in the investigation.
“Children are vulnerable and must be protected. The death of any child is particularly painful, but the death of a child at the hands of a parent is extremely shocking,” he declared.
Callander added that the authorities’ duty was to clarify the circumstances of Dalia-Rose’s death and bring those responsible to justice.