John Tighe pleads not guilty to murdering baby son

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

John Tighe has pleaded not guilty to murdering his six-month-old son, Joshua Sussbier Tighe. He was on trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

The alleged murder took place at Tighe’s home in Lavallyroe, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, on 1 June 2013. The proceedings were reported on 9 March 2018.

The prosecution alleges that Tighe put a wad of tissue in Joshua’s throat, causing his death by asphyxiation. Tighe denies the charge. He told emergency services that he had been changing the baby’s nappy, went to the toilet and returned to find him choking and blue.

On 8 March 2018, forensic scientist Bridget Fleming told the court that tissue taken from Joshua’s throat matched paper from two boxes in the house: one in the main bedroom and one in the sitting room. She said the wad contained two pieces of tissue crumpled together.

Forensic scientist John Hoade said blood on Tighe’s pyjamas matched Joshua’s. He agreed with defence counsel that, if Joshua had been bleeding while Tighe held him and tried to help him, that would explain the blood on the pyjamas. Counsel said Tighe had told emergency services that blood was coming from Joshua’s mouth.

Justice Patrick McCarthy told the jury to return on Monday while he and counsel dealt with a legal issue in their absence. The trial was ongoing when the report was published.