The owners of an Aberdeenshire hotel were said to have been devastated after a 15-month-old girl fell from an unsecured window.
Meldrum House Estates was fined £10,000 for safety failings at Aberdeen Sheriff Court following the incident in April 2012.
The court heard how the one-year-old fell from the first floor of converted stables at Oldmeldrum-based Meldrum House Hotel.
Her parents were getting ready for a wedding while the child moved around the room. It appeared that somehow she opened a window, leaned back and fell out.
Her parents ran out to find her in shock and ‘floppy’. Her lips were turning blue but she was conscious. After being taken to hospital, her only visible injuries were a bump on the back of the head and redness on her arm.
Chief executive of Meldrum House Estates, Andy Burgess, said the company had been left “devastated” over the incident. He said he thought the company had done everything possible during a £2.5m refurbishment to ensure safety.
The court heard that the hotel had a good health and safety record and had taken responsibility for the accident at an early stage.
Sheriff Annella Cowan said: “The risk of such an accident happening was low. This was an isolated incident.”
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