My baby was dying in my arms ..I did all I could but to no avail
A MAN accused of murdering his baby son told gardai: “I did all I could but to no avail,”a court heard yesterday.
The jury in the trial of John Tighe heard from statements the accused made to officers in 2013 and 2014 following the death of his six-month-old son Joshua Sussbier Tighe.
Mr Tighe, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering the infant at his home on June 1, 2013.
At the Central Criminal Court Det Ken Waldron told prosecuting counsel Patrick Reynolds the 40-year-old gave a voluntary interview under caution at his home on June 12, 2013.
He did the same at Claremorris Garda station on June 11, 2014.
He told officers that by the time of his death Joshua was able to roll over and would grab things and put them in his mouth. He would suck on his bib and on one occasion pushed it so far in that he threw up his milk
The evening before Joshua died Tighe collected the baby from his mother Natasha, as they shared custody.
He told officers that at around 12.30pm the following day Joshua began whimpering for his bottle.
Describing the minutes before the fatal incident, he said he prepared the baby changing area by taking out a nappy and three or four wipes before putting Joshua on the changing mat.
After he had changed the nappy he suddenly got the urge to go to the toilet. He was gone no more than