Mum of murdered baby Joshua ‘overwhelmed’ with support after fundraiser for son’s new grave

Natascha Suessbier, who spoke emotively last June about the terrible ordeal she suffered at the hands of evil John Tighe, has said she is incredibly grateful for his new ‘beautiful’ forever resting place for the tragic tot.

A handmade wooden cross previously adorned Joshua’s grave, however, the concrete surround was cracked and crumbling apart.

A total of 125 people donated almost €4,000 to the GoFundMe campaign after Natascha spoke about the devastating grief she suffered after her ex-partner killed their baby son.

Tighe, aged 45, is currently serving a mandatory life sentence that was handed down in March 2018 for the murder of his infant son Joshua, who fatally choked on a ball of tissue at his home at Lavallyroe, Cloonfad, Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo on June 1, 2013.

Natascha, who described Joshua as a very happy, wonderful, content child, revealed the new headstone and grave was completed on November 16, what would have been Joshua’s 11th birthday.

“I would like to thank each and every person from the bottom of my heart for all the support, sharing of Joshua and my story and for donating towards getting Joshua’s forever resting place done,” she said.

“Without all that help, Joshua wouldn't have gotten the beautiful grave he has now.

"I can't put it into words how overwhelmed I was and am by all the generous support. It means the world to us.”

The remorseless killer appealed his conviction several times and his most recent bid to have his conviction quashed failed last March at the Court of Appeal.

Tighe claimed at his 2018 trial that he carelessly left a wad of tissues within baby Joshua’s reach while he went to the toilet, but expert medical witnesses said it would have been impossible for their baby to form or swallow the ‘egg-shaped wad’ independently.

However, the jury saw through his lies and returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

Natascha met controlling and manipulative Tighe in October 2011 when she was 17 and while she was living in Cork.

They began texting for several weeks before the then 34 year-old met her in person and pretended he was 26.

The new headstone at Cloonfad Cemetery is in the shape of a teddy bear holding a heart and Natascha had the poignant words, ‘Mummy misses you’ and ‘Fly little angel fly’ inscribed on it.

Natascha is now rebuilding her life with her partner and two children, one of whom she had with liar Tighe before she found out the truth.