A woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of her 19-day-old daughter following what a judge described as a “violent and brutal” attack in Scotland.
Nicole Blain was ordered to serve a minimum of 19 years at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday over the death of baby Thea Wilson in Greenock, Inverclyde, in July 2023, the Independent reported.
During sentencing, Lord Scott rejected Blain’s claims that another child inside the home was responsible for the infant’s injuries, describing the explanation as “absurd”.
Blain was convicted of murder last month following a trial at the same court, where prosecutors said the baby suffered repeated shaking and blunt force trauma.
Medical evidence presented during the trial showed Thea had suffered three skull fractures, severe brain injuries and bleeding in both eyes. Doctors told the court the injuries were consistent with forceful shaking and impact trauma.
Jurors also heard evidence from a social worker who visited the family home hours before the incident and found the baby resting in her cot. The witness later returned after emergency services were called and described Blain as distressed and agitated.
Blain denied responsibility during the trial and claimed she discovered the infant injured after waking up and answering a knock at the door. Prosecutors argued the severity of the injuries ruled out any accidental cause.
Emergency services were called to a property in Greenock on July 14, after reports that the baby had become unwell. Thea was taken to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, where she later died.
Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Laura Young described the case as “tragic” and said Blain would now face the consequences of her actions.
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