Nurse "not sure" if father was following her instructions, infant murder trial hears

A nurse who advised a father during an emergency call about his choking infant was uncertain whether her instructions were being followed, the Central Criminal Court heard today. Aine Watts, who worked with WestDoc medical service, took a call in 2013 from John Tighe of Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, after his baby began choking on tissue. Ms Watts told the court she instructed Mr Tighe to perform chest compressions and attempt to dislodge the obstruction, but was unsure if her guidance was being adhered to. Under cross-examination, she acknowledged prioritising airway clearance over CPR given the child's unresponsiveness. Mr Tighe, aged 40, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his son Joshua Sussbier Tighe on 1 June 2013. The prosecution alleges the tissue was deliberately placed in the child's throat; the defence maintains the six-and-a-half-month-old swallowed it independently. The trial before Justice Patrick McCarthy continues tomorrow.