‘SHE WANTS HER FREEDOM’… MUM JAILED AFTER BABY DAUGHTER’S DEATH LAUNCHES BID TO OVERTURN CONVICTION

A Scottish mother jailed for six years over the death of her three-month-old daughter has launched a legal bid to overturn both her conviction and sentence.

Courtney Gartshore, 28, was convicted of culpable homicide after a jury found her responsible for subjecting baby Dahlia-Rose to “significant and sustained heat” from a hairdryer.

Now, only weeks after being sent to prison, Gartshore has formally notified the courts that she intends to challenge the verdict — as well as the six-year sentence imposed on her.

The move begins a new legal chapter in a case that has shocked the community in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

A THREE-MONTH-OLD BABY AT THE CENTRE OF THE CASE

Dahlia-Rose was born in June 2023.

On September 30 that year, emergency services were called to the family home in Peterhead after concerns were raised about the infant.

The baby was found unresponsive and could not be saved.

The subsequent investigation led to Gartshore being arrested and charged in November 2023.

At trial, prosecutors argued that Dahlia-Rose had been exposed to extreme and prolonged heat from a hairdryer.

The court heard that around 18% of the infant’s body suffered burns, including areas of her head and body.

The prosecution’s medical case was that the heat caused fatal hyperthermia and heatstroke rather than the burns themselves being the direct cause of death.

Gartshore denied responsibility.

But after the trial at the High Court in Aberdeen, the jury unanimously convicted her of culpable homicide.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

The court heard that Gartshore had spent the evening socialising with friends and neighbours before returning home at around 4 a.m.

She had consumed a significant amount of alcohol and had remained responsible for Dahlia-Rose throughout the evening.

The prosecution said the baby was subsequently subjected to “significant and sustained heat.”

Her defence lawyer was unable to provide a definite explanation for why Gartshore had used the hairdryer.

Instead, he suggested it was possible she had been attempting to provide warmth because the baby was cold — while describing the use of the appliance as reckless.

The sentencing judge, however, concluded that the level of carelessness was exceptionally serious.

‘A GROSS BREACH’ OF A PARENT’S DUTY

Sentencing Gartshore to six years in prison on August 14, Judge Simon Collins KC described the case as “uniquely disturbing.”

He said Dahlia-Rose’s extremely young age and complete dependence on her mother were significant aggravating factors.

The judge also said the incident represented a “gross breach” of the basic duty of a parent to protect a child from harm.

Although Gartshore was convicted of culpable homicide, the judge acknowledged that the prosecution had not alleged she deliberately intended to harm or end the life of her daughter.

Instead, he said her conduct amounted to the highest degree of carelessness.

The court also heard about what happened after the incident.

The judge said Gartshore moved Dahlia-Rose from the bedroom to the balcony before police and paramedics arrived and later denied knowing how the baby had been injured.

He described those actions as evidence of an attempt to conceal her involvement.

HER MENTAL HEALTH WAS ALSO CONSIDERED

Gartshore’s defence highlighted her difficult personal history during sentencing.

Her lawyer told the court that she had experienced significant childhood trauma and had been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder.

The judge also acknowledged that she had a history of poor mental health, had limited support and had been caring for another child.

Gartshore had also attempted suicide following Dahlia-Rose’s death.

The judge said those circumstances were mitigating factors, although they did not excuse her conduct.

NOW SHE IS FIGHTING THE VERDICT

The latest development came on August 31, when court officials confirmed that Gartshore’s legal team had lodged an “intimation of intention to appeal against conviction and sentence.”

The appeal will therefore challenge two separate aspects of the case: whether the conviction itself should stand and whether the six-year punishment was appropriate.

Her lawyers have until October 20 to submit the relevant papers setting out the grounds for the appeal.

For now, nothing has been overturned.

Gartshore remains convicted of culpable homicide and remains subject to the six-year sentence unless an appeal court decides otherwise.

A COMMUNITY STILL ASKING QUESTIONS

The case has also raised questions about whether more could have been done to protect Dahlia-Rose before her death.

The Press and Journal previously reported claims from former friends and others that concerns about Gartshore’s parenting had been raised with Aberdeenshire Council between 2019 and 2021.

The council said it could not comment on individual cases because of confidentiality requirements.

However, evidence presented at trial indicated that health visitors had visited Gartshore and Dahlia-Rose in the months before the infant’s death.

One health visitor told the court that Dahlia-Rose appeared clean, happy and well when she was last seen at a health centre 17 days before her death.

That contrast has become another troubling part of the wider story.

THE NEXT FIGHT WILL BE IN COURT

Gartshore’s appeal does not mean she has been cleared, nor does it automatically reduce her sentence.

It simply means her legal team is now seeking permission to challenge the conviction and punishment through Scotland’s appeal system.

The next major deadline is October 20.

Until then, the six-year sentence remains in place.

And as Gartshore begins her legal fight for freedom, the central tragedy remains unchanged: Dahlia-Rose was only three months old when her life ended — leaving behind a case that has continued to raise painful questions about responsibility, parental care and whether warning signs were missed.