by Eoin Reynolds Alan Vial and Nikita Burns have both been found guilty of murdering 66-year-old Robert ‘Robin’ Wilkin, whose body was thrown over the cliffs at Sliabh Liag, one of Donegal’s most popular tourist attractions. The jury of seven women and five men at the Central Criminal Court returned their majority, ten to two, […]
Jury asks for explanation of joint enterprise in trial
Jury asks for explanation of joint enterprise in Sliabh Liag murder tria
Dangerous to act on accused claims against co-accused
Dangerous to act on accused man’s claims against co-accused, jury told
Sliabh Liag murder trial: Closing speeches tomorrow
A 66-year-old man would not have died immediately from two skull fractures that the State alleges were inflicted with a rock before he was put off Ireland’s tallest cliffs, if they were the only injuries he suffered, a pathologist has told a murder trial. Earlier this month accused man Alan Vial took the stand in […]
Vial lied about deceased sexually assaulting co-accused
by Eoin Reynolds A man accused of murdering a 66-year-old and putting his body over the cliffs at Sliabh Liag in Donegal has accepted he lied to gardai when he claimed the pensioner had sexually assaulted his co-accused, then 21-year-old Nikita Burns. A man accused of murdering a 66-year-old and putting his body over the […]
Google Street View used to help identify bloodied rock
A geologist has told a murder trial that she used Google Street View to help identify the possible source of a bloodied rock that was allegedly used to fracture a pensioner’s skull before his body went over the cliffs at Sliabh Liag in Donegal. Dr Sophie O’Connor told the court that a rock, which showed […]
Brother of murder accused was concerned sister off meds
The brother of a woman accused of murdering a pensioner whose body went over Ireland’s highest cliffs has told the Central Criminal Court that he was concerned that his sister was not taking her medication and appeared to be drinking during the day in the lead up to the alleged offence. Alan Vial (39) of […]
Murder accused claims she exaggerated about hitting man
A woman accused of murdering a pensioner whose skull was fractured and his body allegedly thrown over Ireland’s tallest cliffs told gardai she was “a bit manic” and was exaggerating when she told a friend she had hit the deceased over the head. The trial also heard that Nikita Burns (23) told gardai that her […]
Trial hears of ‘aggressive altercation’ before alleged Sliagh Liag murder
THREE days before a pensioner was allegedly beaten with a rock and thrown off Ireland’s highest cliffs, he had an aggressive altercation with the man accused of his murder, the defendant’s brother has told the Central Criminal Court. Bruce Vial, the brother of the accused man Alan Vial (39), also told the court on Wednesday […]
Sliabh Liag murder accused each to blame the other
TWO defendants accused of murdering a man whose body was allegedly thrown off the Sliabh Liag cliffs in Donegal each claimed the other “did it”, a barrister has told the Central Criminal Court. Bernard Condon SC opened the trial this morning of Nikita Burns (22) and Alan Vial (39) who deny the murder of Robert […]