JOHN TIGHE SENTENCED TO LIFE FOR BABY'S MURDER IN BALLYHAUNIS, CO MAYO

In a tragic case that shocked the community of Ballyhaunis and the wider Co Mayo region, John Tighe, aged 40, was handed a life sentence after being found guilty of the brutal murder of his six-and-a-half-month-old son, Joshua Sussbier Tighe. The devastating incident occurred at Tighe’s residence in Lavallyroe on June 1st, 2013, and has since become a somber chapter in local crime history.

Despite his initial plea of not guilty, Tighe was convicted by a jury composed of nine women and three men after more than seven and a half hours of deliberation. The jury’s unanimous verdict was delivered at 3 pm on a recent Friday, sealing his fate and bringing closure to a case marked by intense emotional testimony and forensic evidence.

Following the verdict, Tighe attempted to communicate with the mother of the deceased, Natasha Sussbier, who had just delivered a powerful impact statement recounting her suffering since losing her child. She described her pain and anger, walking past Tighe without speaking as he sat in court. In her statement, Ms. Sussbier detailed how Tighe had exerted control over her, lying to her face, and how her realization of his dishonesty came only after her family presented her with medical evidence that proved Joshua’s death was not accidental.

She questioned the callousness of Tighe, asking, “How can someone be so heartless as to lie to my face about something so serious?” Her grief was palpable as she described her heartbreak, emphasizing that her son, her “pride and joy,” was her entire world. She vividly recalled the coldness of her baby’s hand as she held him in her arms in Tighe’s home and recounted her desperate plea, “Come back Joshua! Don’t leave mummy here.”

Ms. Sussbier also shared that every visit to her son’s grave is a painful reminder of her loss, and she expressed her lingering questions about the circumstances surrounding Joshua’s death. She stated that only Tighe knows what truly happened to her son, leaving a haunting sense of unresolved mystery.

Judge Patrick McCarthy, presiding over the case, sentenced Tighe to life imprisonment “as prescribed by law,” reflecting the gravity of the crime. Throughout the trial, Tighe maintained that his son’s death was accidental, claiming that he had carelessly left a tissue within Joshua’s reach while attending to a nappy change and that the baby had choked on it after he returned.

However, expert witnesses provided compelling evidence countering Tighe’s account. They testified that Joshua could not have formed or swallowed the tissue, which was recovered from his throat during the postmortem examination. The tissue, weighing 19 grams and measuring 5cm by 3.5cm by 2.5cm, consisted of two pieces of scrunched-up tissue paper from different boxes. The forensic analysis indicated that the injuries to Joshua’s mouth and throat were inconsistent with accidental choking and suggested a more sinister cause.

During the trial, it was revealed that Tighe had lived in Lavallyroe all his life and had met Ms. Sussbier through a mutual friend in 2011. Tighe admitted to sending her approximately 1,500 text messages weekly before she moved in with him in early 2012. Their relationship resulted in the birth of Joshua in November of that year, a healthy baby whom Tighe described as “delighted” with their new family.

However, their relationship soon deteriorated, leading Ms. Sussbier to move out a few months after Joshua’s birth. Despite this, they agreed to share custody of their son. On May 31st, 2013, Ms. Sussbier and her new boyfriend publicly announced their relationship on Facebook. The following evening, Tighe collected Joshua from Ms. Sussbier, and tragically, the boy was choked to death the next afternoon.

The prosecution suggested that the Facebook message indicating Ms. Sussbier’s new relationship may have played a role in the tragic event, although Tighe claimed he was aware of her relationship beforehand. During the emergency call following Joshua’s choking incident, medical personnel instructed Tighe to perform various techniques to dislodge the obstruction, including hitting and tapping the baby’s back and front. Tighe stated he saw the blockage but was unable to remove it, and by the time emergency services arrived, 23 minutes later, Joshua had succumbed.

Ms. Sussbier’s statement revealed her inability to forget the sound of her son’s final breaths, a haunting memory that continues to torment her. Forensic evidence confirmed the presence of Joshua’s blood at the scene—on the floor, walls, his clothing, and Tighe’s pajamas. The postmortem examination revealed injuries to Joshua’s frenulum, as well as internal injuries to his throat and tongue, which Tighe claimed were caused by his attempts to retrieve the tissue from his son’s mouth.

This tragic case underscores the devastating consequences of alleged neglect and violence within a family, leaving the Ballyhaunis community and all of Co Mayo to mourn the loss of a young life cut short under circumstances that continue to evoke questions and sorrow.