Nicole Blain Receives Life Sentence for Murder of 19-Day-Old Daughter Thea Wilson
Nicole Blain has been handed a life sentence, with a minimum term of 19 years, for the murder of her 19-day-old daughter, Thea Wilson.
Blain, 30, was convicted last month after Thea succumbed to injuries indicative of violent shaking and repeated impacts. The High Court in Glasgow heard how Thea suffered three skull fractures, brain damage, and retinal bleeding.
During the trial, Blain maintained she discovered her daughter injured on the floor of her Greenock flat on 14 July 2023, attempting to attribute the fatal injuries to another child present. Lord Scott, the presiding judge, dismissed this narrative as "patently absurd" and a "feeble attempt to evade responsibility," asserting that Blain inflicted "catastrophic deadly violence" upon the infant.
The jury found Blain guilty in April, rejecting her claims that the injuries were accidental or caused by another child. Lord Scott emphasised that the act was not an accident and could not have resulted from a fall, confirming that Blain, as Thea's primary caregiver, was responsible for the "intentional or wickedly reckless" murder of a "tiny defenceless baby."
Evidence presented in April revealed Blain had reported struggling with post-natal depression following Thea's birth. A social worker visited on the day of Thea's death, noting the baby in her crib and Blain's complaints of tiredness.
Later that day, Blain telephoned Thea's paternal grandmother, Laura Wilson. Laura's husband, Alan, answered and recounted hearing a "piercing and extremely loud" scream he initially mistook for an older child, only to realise it was the infant. Blain reportedly sounded disoriented and was advised to call an ambulance. Upon meeting Laura Wilson at the hospital, Blain reiterated her claim that another child was responsible. A support worker, after speaking with Blain, found Thea cold, silent, and an "awful colour," promptly dialling 999. The baby died later in hospital.
