A mum who killed her baby daughter after exposing her to heat from a hairdryer and a violent thug who kidnapped a couple’s pet chihuahua and locked it in a suitcase were among the Scots criminals brought to justice this week.
Also locked up was Felix Urcaciu, a bungling ATM thief who stole more than £25,000 from unsuspecting cash machine users and was finally caught after using his own bank card to check his balance.
His brother Cristian, 37, also used cash-trapping devices to target dozens of ATMs across Scotland, Yorkshire and the East Midlands in a sophisticated scam that left victims empty-handed.
Here are the worst criminals jailed or due to be sentenced this week in Scotland.
View 4 ImagesCourtney Gartshore
A mum has been found guilty of killing her three-month-old baby daughter after exposing her to heat from a hairdryer.
Courtney Gartshore, 28, denied culpable homicide following the death of baby Dahlia-Rose while the infant was in her sole care in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, in September 2023.
Gartshore broke down in tears as she was led from the dock to the cells. She is due to be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 14.
The jury found her guilty of culpably and recklessly causing Dahlia-Rose to be exposed to heat from a hairdryer while the child was in her sole care.
Prosecutors said the injuries inflicted were so severe that the three-month-old died as a result. Jurors heard that Dahlia-Rose suffered burns to 18 per cent of her body.
The court heard allegations that Gartshore had consumed alcohol before the incident and taken the Class B drug mephedrone while she was the baby’s sole carer.
View 4 ImagesFelix Urcaciu, 33.(Image: Nottinghamshire Police / SWNS)
A bungling ATM thief who stole more than £25,000 from unsuspecting cash machine users was finally caught after using his own bank card to check his balance.
Felix Urcaciu, 33, and brother Cristian, 37, used cash-trapping devices to target dozens of ATMs across Scotland, Yorkshire and the East Midlands in a sophisticated scam that left victims empty-handed. The Romanian brothers fitted metal sleeves over cash dispenser slots, preventing notes from being released to customers.
Believing there was a fault with the machine, victims would walk away – only for the crooks to return later and collect the trapped cash.
Nottinghamshire Police launched an investigation in 2023 and by cross-checking transaction records with CCTV footage, officers discovered Felix had used his own bank card during the offences, directly linking him to the thefts.
At Nottingham Crown Court, Cristian was jailed for 33 months, while Felix was sentenced in his absence to 40 months.
View 4 ImagesTiny pet dog, Liza
A violent thug kidnapped a couple’s pet chihuahua and locked the tiny pooch in a suitcase during a “terrifying” robbery.
Former soldier Shaun Docherty tied up dog owner James Connelly-Traynor then forced the man’s partner to drive to an ATM and withdraw cash. A court heard Docherty, 31, assaulted both victims and told them he was holding their pet, Liza, as “collateral”.
He finally handed back the dog, unharmed, and made off with cash and alcohol. Docherty was jailed for three years after a sheriff branded his behaviour “disturbing and appalling”.
He admitted abducting and assaulting James Connelly-Traynor, 41, at the victim’s home in East Kilbride while on bail on January 4 this year. Docherty also admitted abducting, assaulting and robbing Norman Connelly-Traynor, 42. He had only met the couple – both teachers – the previous evening and joined them for drinks at their home.
Docherty was jailed for 27 months in a separate assault and robbery case earlier this year. The sheriff imposed non-harassment orders, banning Docherty from contacting the Connelly-Traynors for 25 years.
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