Father went on to have second child with mother of infant he is accused of murdering

A man charged with the murder of his six-month-old son at his home in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo in 2013 later fathered a second child with the infant's mother, the Central Criminal Court heard on Friday. The accused, aged 40, has pleaded not guilty to the charge. During cross-examination of a detective garda, transcripts of interviews conducted with the defendant following his arrest in 2015 were presented to the jury. The prosecution alleges the child died after tissue paper was placed in his throat. The accused has consistently maintained he left the infant briefly while attending to a medical need and discovered the child choking upon his return. He told gardai he found tissue in the baby's mouth but denied placing it there deliberately. The jury of nine women and three men also heard evidence regarding blood found at the scene. The prosecution concluded its case and the trial will resume on Tuesday before Justice Patrick McCarthy.