Mother sentenced to six years in Scotland over baby's death from hairdryer heat
A Scottish court has jailed 28-year-old Courtney Garshow for six years after she was found guilty of causing the death of her three-month-old daughter, Dalia Rose, through prolonged heat exposure from a hair dryer.
A 28-year-old woman has been sentenced to six years in prison in Scotland for the death of her three-month-old daughter. Courtney Garshow was convicted of culpable homicide in connection with the death of baby Dalia Rose. The incident took place on 30 September 2023 at a property in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.
Garshow had been alone with the infant and had consumed alcohol before using a hair dryer to expose the child to what investigators described as significant and prolonged heat. This caused fatal injuries. Police said they were alerted by the Scottish Ambulance Service. A subsequent investigation led to the woman's arrest and charge in November 2023.
Garshow denied the charge of culpable homicide, which in Scottish law is treated as an unlawful killing equivalent to manslaughter. In July this year, she was found guilty after a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen. The sentence was handed down on Friday at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Detective Inspector James Callender previously stated that children are vulnerable and must be protected, and that a child's death at the hands of a parent is extremely shocking. He also stressed that any child's death is particularly serious and distressing. The case has drawn attention because of the young victim's age and the circumstances of the incident.
