Baby murder accused had 2nd child with tot’s mum Court told daughter born two years after tragic boy choked on tissue paper
A DAD accused of murdering his infant son had a second child with the deceased baby’s mother, a court heard yesterday.
John Tighe, 40, denies he killed six-month-old Joshua Sussbier Tighe at his home on June 1, 2013.
The Central Criminal Court heard Tighe and Natasha Sussbier had a baby girl in October 2015 but are no longer together.
The court heard memos of interviews given by the accused to gardai at various times from Joshua’s death and after his arrest in 2015.
Det Gda Ken Waldron agreed with prosecutor Patrick Reynolds that Tighe told officers he loved his son and would never hurt him.
He added the accused said he was “clumsy” and a “f ***** g eejit” for leaving tissues within his son’s reach.
The State alleges Tighe, of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, murdered the infant by putting tissue in his throat.
He claims he was changing the baby’s nappy, went to the toilet and when he returned Joshua was choking.
During interviews gardai showed the accused tissue paper they created which they said was similar in dimension to what pathologist Dr Khalid Jaber found in the baby’s throat. The wad consisted of two pieces of tissue paper measuring 260mm by 300mm.
They asked him how the child could have swallowed it and he replied it was “unbelievable,” adding: “I would have trouble getting that down my throat.”
The wad the pathologist removed from Joshua’s throat measured 5.5cm by 3.5cm by 2.5cm, weighed 19 grams and was egg-shaped.
Tighe said he didn’t see the baby put the tissue in his mouth but that is the only explanation for how it got there.
He added it must have been pushed further down by him trying to remove it.
When gardai asked if he deliberately put the tissue in the child’s throat he said: “No, never ever once in my life did I ever try to hurt him in any way. He was my boy.”
He told them that he loved Joshua and asked: “Why would I do that?”
Gardai asked him to explain the blood on the baby’s clothes, Tighe’s pyjamas and on the floor and wall of his home.
The tot’s bloodied clothes were in the hallway and Tighe was not wearing the blood-stained pyjama bottoms when emergency services arrived.
The trial continues on Tuesday.
CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT YESTERDAY
Never once in my life did I try to hurt him in any way. He was my boy
JOHN TIGHE