Adeleke Adelani, 27, of Riverside View, Lower Main Street, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, has been sentenced to a consecutive 21-month prison term for laundering €100,397 in criminal cash in November 2019 and in January 2020, and for laundering the proceeds of crime on dates between October 2018 and February 2021. Adelani pleaded guilty to these charges. The court heard that €124,000 passed through his bank accounts, with only €3,500 accounted for, primarily from social welfare payments. The State's case is that Adelani was not involved in setting up the invoice redirection scams but was a recruiter for money mule bank accounts to facilitate the thefts. The court heard that the money ended up in the bank account of a 41-year-old Dublin woman who received a suspended prison sentence in March 2022. Adelani admitted to withdrawing cash and purchasing high-value items. Gardai found 50 images of other people's bank accounts on his phone. Adelani has previous convictions for assault, false imprisonment, burglary, and production of an article. He is currently serving a partially suspended seven-year sentence with a release date in November 2029. The judge stated that Adelani was 'up to his neck in money laundering' and that he was procuring bank accounts for substantial rewards. The 21-month sentence will run consecutive to his existing sentence.
A 37-year-old man from Castlefin, County Donegal, has been sentenced to five years imprisonment by the Central Criminal Court for the rape of an 18-year-old woman at an address in Convoy on 14 January 2018. Desmond Leitch was found guilty by jury following a trial in which evidence showed the victim was heavily intoxicated when she was taken to a spare bedroom and assaulted. The court heard that Leitch has previous convictions for rape and stalking. Mr Justice David Keane imposed the sentence taking into account Leitch's diagnosis of schizophrenia and mild intellectual dysfunction, though a probation report assessed him as posing a high risk of sexual reoffending. The judge backdated the sentence to October 2024 and imposed four years of post-release supervision with the Probation Service, requiring Leitch to comply with all directions issued.
Richard Walsh, 32, of Lisminton, Ballintra, Co Donegal, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting his partner's best friend while she slept on a sofa in his home on December 13, 2020. The victim, in her 20s, reported waking with pain and later told gardai she was tampered with. DNA evidence from Walsh's underwear matched the victim. Walsh initially denied contact but later admitted the offence. Justice Tony Hunt noted Walsh's previous conviction for defilement of a child under 17, for which he pleaded guilty and received a custodial sentence of one year and eight months in January 2023. Walsh was on bail for that unrelated offence at the time of the current incident. The court heard a victim impact statement detailing long-term trauma, depression, and loss of relationships. Walsh read a letter apologising for the harm caused, though the victim did not accept it. Justice Hunt commended the victim's strength and stated the guilty plea vindicated her. The judge adjourned the case to January 19, 2026, for sentencing. Walsh, who had been on bail, was remanded into custody to appear on that date. Counsel noted Walsh is a father of two and warned of community shunning upon release.
A 26-year-old man from north Dublin has pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to attempted murder. Darragh Quigley of Carndonagh Road, Donaghmede, admitted the charge relating to an incident on Chatham Row, Dublin 2 on November 16, 2023. Mr Justice Paul McDermott adjourned proceedings to December 16 for the hearing of evidence and a victim impact statement. The case carries connections to Carndonagh in County Donegal through the defendant's address registration.
A 22-year-old UK national has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for importing cannabis from Thailand destined for Donegal. Jamie Kearns of Coventry entered signed pleas to possession of drugs and drug importation following his arrest at Dublin Airport on 12 February 2025. Gardaí recovered 24.472 kilograms of cannabis, valued at €489,440, from vacuum-packed bags in his luggage. The court heard Kearns had been approached whilst backpacking in Thailand and asked to transport the drugs to settle a personal drug debt of €4,551.46. Judge Martin Nolan noted the defendant's early guilty plea, lack of previous convictions, and youth at the time of the offence as mitigating factors, departing from the mandatory ten-year minimum sentence. The sentence was backdated to his date of custody.
Two men sought by United Kingdom authorities on charges connected to a 1975 RUC shooting have argued before the Court of Appeal that decades-long delays in pursuing their extradition amount to an abuse of process. John Edward McNicholl, aged 73, of Newmills, Letterkenny, County Donegal, and Seamus Christopher O'Kane, aged 74, of Scalestown, County Meath, face charges relating to the investigation into the murder of Constable Robert John McPherson in County Derry on 26 July 1975 and an attempted murder. Both men escaped from the Maze Prison in May 1976 before trial. The High Court previously ruled in their favour regarding delay grounds was insufficient to refuse surrender, though noting some periods of inaction by authorities. At appeal, counsel for both men contended the nearly 50-year delay constituted an abuse of process, with prosecution decisions dating to 1976. The Minister for Justice's representative characterised the case as fundamentally one of delay rather than abuse of process. The three-judge court reserved judgement.
A man caught transporting nearly €500,000 worth of cannabis has been sentenced to three years and three months imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Conor Delaney, formerly of Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis for sale or supply following his arrest at Larch Hill, Santry on March 25, 2021. Gardaí conducting a surveillance operation observed Delaney receive two boxes from a van driven by co-accused Glen Stankard, who was previously sentenced to six years with the final three and a half years suspended. Analysis of the seized packages revealed 24.8 kilograms of cannabis valued at €496,384. The defence submitted that Delaney, now living in Donegal, had successfully rehabilitated from drug addiction and was drug-free. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged the defendant's rehabilitation efforts and family support but noted his difficulties stemmed from his own choices. The judge imposed a headline sentence of six years before reducing it to three years and three months.
A man has pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of Tom Niland at the Central Criminal Court, five days into his trial. John Irving, aged 31, of Shanwar, Foxford, County Mayo, changed his plea on the morning of July 17th. He is the third person to admit to manslaughter in connection with the death of the 73-year-old, who was assaulted at his home near Skreen, County Sligo on January 18th, 2022. Mr Niland suffered serious injuries including brain bleeding, facial fractures and multiple broken ribs during the attack. He was placed on life support but died from complications of his injuries twenty months later. Francis Harman and John Clarke had previously pleaded guilty to the same offence. The Director of Public Prosecutions indicated the guilty plea to manslaughter satisfied the prosecution's case. Justice Eileen Creedon discharged the jury and adjourned sentencing to October 13th, pending victim impact statements and psychological reports.
At the High Court, Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty granted an application for leave brought by Paul McGarry SC for retired Donegal garda sergeant Paul Wallace, adjourning the matter to October. Mr Wallace, of Burtonport, is seeking judicial review against the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána over their alleged failure to determine his January 2023 application to restore his Gaeltacht allowance. He claims this inaction breaches fair procedures and prevents him from pursuing internal appeals. Mr Wallace alleges that his pension entitlements are affected, resulting in a claimed loss of €8,708.17 from his gratuity and €249.38 monthly from his pension. He states he served in Gaeltacht areas, including Glencolmcille and Bun Beag, and later in Letterkenny, which was designated a 'Gaeltacht service town' in 2020. Despite reapplying in 2023, he retired in March 2024 without a decision. The court did not conclude the case; it was adjourned.
A Donegal man has lost his appeal against conviction for raping and sexually assaulting his daughter during her childhood. The Court of Appeal dismissed the challenge on 14 July, with Mr Justice Michael MacGrath ruling that evidence of the victim's disclosure to her aunt was properly admissible at trial. The appellant, Michael Carter (57) of Kinnego, Ballymagan, Buncrana, was convicted in June 2023 of one count of rape and 25 sample counts of sexual assault occurring between 2010 and 2014, when his daughter was aged nine to twelve. He was sentenced to ten and a half years imprisonment. The defence had contested the admissibility of the aunt's evidence, arguing the complaint was elicited through questioning rather than offered voluntarily. The court found the disclosure was consistent with the victim's trial testimony and properly admitted, identifying no error warranting reversal of the conviction.
Mark McAnaw, aged 53 and previously of Letterkenny, County Donegal, has been sentenced to an additional ten months in custody following a breach of suspended sentence conditions at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. McAnaw pleaded guilty last month to harassing three female journalists in August 2023 and was handed an eleven-year sentence for those offences. He had been released from custody in July 2023 on the suspended portion of an earlier eight-year-four-month sentence for aggravated burglary, imposed in 2023. Judge Martin Nolan activated ten months of the sixteen-month suspended element, to run consecutively to the existing eleven-year sentence. The court heard McAnaw sent threatening emails and messages to the women and attended their workplace. He is currently detained in the Central Mental Hospital. A lifelong contact prohibition and exclusion order have been imposed.
A trial has commenced at the Central Criminal Court concerning charges against John Irving of Shanwar, Foxford, County Mayo. The prosecution alleges that Mr Irving, along with Francis Harman of Ballina and John Clarke of Ballina, broke into the home of a pensioner at Doonflynn, Skreen, County Sligo in January 2022 and assaulted him. The victim, then aged 73, sustained severe injuries including head trauma, rib fractures and internal bleeding. He died over twenty months later from complications arising from the assault. A medical witness is expected to testify that the injuries were comparable to those sustained in a serious motor collision. Forensic evidence presented includes DNA and blood located on gloves discovered in the area. Mr Irving denies all charges, including unlawful killing, assault causing serious harm, trespass, and false imprisonment. The trial before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon continues.
A man from the Glenties area of Donegal has been sentenced to a total of 15.5 years in prison following his conviction at the Central Criminal Court for facilitating a gangland shooting in Dublin. Patrick Fitzgerald, aged 48, was convicted of participating in activities of a criminal organisation between November 2021 with intent to facilitate a serious offence. He provided getaway vehicles used in an attempted murder of Dublin criminal Gary Carey on 17 November 2021. Justice Eileen Creedon imposed a seven-year sentence to run consecutively with an existing 7.5-year sentence for aggravated burglary. The court heard Fitzgerald purchased two vehicles through an online platform and provided them as escape cars following the shooting at Ballyfermot Crescent. Mr Carey sustained gunshot wounds and subsequently relocated his family abroad. The judge noted the case involved a national and international drug smuggling gang and considered the profound impact on the victim's family. Fitzgerald has 72 previous convictions.
A worker at Arranmore Island co-operative in County Donegal has failed in a constructive dismissal claim before the Workplace Relations Commission. Fiona Glynn alleged she was forced to resign following a public remark by the then-chairperson concerning "cute hoorism", which she characterised as undermining and divisive. The co-operative, which operates sporting facilities, holiday homes, a café and a cultural centre on the island, denied the complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. Adjudicator Conor Stokes rejected the claim, finding that Ms Glynn did not exhaust the organisation's formal grievance procedure before resigning in August 2022. The adjudicator noted that Ms Glynn deleted thousands of emails from the employer's systems prior to departure, which undermined her position. He concluded she was not unfairly dismissed.
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns, convicted of murdering Robert Wilkin near Sliabh Liag in County Donegal, have been denied legal aid for a third senior barrister to represent them in their Court of Appeal bid to overturn their convictions. Mr Justice John Edwards ruled that legal aid would cover two counsel per defendant, stating he must have regard to public resources. Vial, aged 39, from Killybegs, and Burns, aged 23, from Carrick, were found guilty by Central Criminal Court jury in March of murdering the 66-year-old on 25 June 2023. Mr Wilkin's body was recovered from the sea below the cliffs eight days after he was thrown over. The judge noted that appeal hearings are shorter than trials, do not involve live evidence, and are typically presented by a single barrister. The prosecution informed the court it would not seek three counsel for its case. Burns's application to extend her appeal deadline was granted.
A man with previous convictions for rape and kidnapping has been sentenced to eleven years imprisonment at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for harassing three female journalists. Mark McAnaw, formerly of Letterkenny, County Donegal, pleaded guilty to charges relating to harassment that occurred in August 2023. He sent explicit and threatening emails to the women, including threats to kill, and attended their workplace. Judge Pauline Codd imposed the full sentence after McAnaw declined to accept conditions that would have suspended the final twelve months. She imposed a lifelong contact ban and ordered McAnaw remain ten miles from the women's homes and workplaces. The judge noted McAnaw's history of violent offending and his failure to engage with mental health treatment while detained at the Central Mental Hospital. McAnaw is assessed as presenting high risk of violent and sexual reoffending.
Two men in their 70s have been granted leave to appeal their extradition to Northern Ireland on charges connected to the 1975 murder of an RUC officer. At the High Court, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath ruled that while authorities had provided detailed explanation for the delay in seeking their surrender, this was incomplete and included lengthy periods of inaction. John Edward McNicholl, of Newmills, Letterkenny, County Donegal, and Seamus Christopher O'Kane, of Scalestown, County Meath, face charges arising from the investigation into the death of Constable Robert John McPherson, shot in an ambush in County Derry on 26 July 1975. Both men escaped from the Maze Prison in May 1976 before trial. The judge certified questions for the Court of Appeal regarding whether the 48-year delay constituted abuse of process and whether the omission to seek surrender for all original offences was an abuse of process. Both men were remanded on continuing bail pending further hearing.
Patrick Fitzgerald (48), with an address in Glenties, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to facilitating a criminal organisation between November 11 and 18, 2021. The court heard that Fitzgerald, known as 'Mr Fishy', purchased and provided getaway vehicles used in an attempted murder of Dublin man Gary Carey on November 17, 2021. Carey was shot ten times and sustained gunshot wounds to his torso but survived. He subsequently died from injuries sustained in a second attack in August 2022. Fitzgerald was arrested in December 2021 and exercised his right to silence during interviews. The court heard he has 72 previous convictions. While on bail for an aggravated burglary charge, Fitzgerald was jailed for seven and a half years in February this year following a home invasion that terrorised a family including a six-year-old child. Sentencing was adjourned to July 7. Victim impact statements detailed the family's trauma and loss of safety following the shooting.
Michael Carter, a 56-year-old man from Buncrana, Co Donegal, has appealed his conviction for rape and sexual assault against his daughter, Karen Harkin. Carter was found guilty in June 2023 at the Central Criminal Court of one count of rape and 25 sample counts of sexual assault committed between 2010 and 2014, when the victim was aged nine to 12. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor sentenced him to ten and a half years in prison. At the Court of Appeal, defence counsel Michael Bowman SC argued that a statement by the victim's aunt should not have been admitted as evidence. He contended the disclosure was elicited by question and answer rather than being a voluntary complaint, specifically regarding the aunt asking if Carter was the perpetrator. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by James Dwyer SC, countered that the complaint emerged voluntarily from a distressed child and that Carter was the only logical candidate. The court heard that Carter had been found guilty of touching the victim inappropriately, including in the bath, and raping her on one occasion. Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy reserved judgement on the appeal, meaning the matter was adjourned and not concluded.
A 48-year-old Dublin man has pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation at the Central Criminal Court. Patrick Fitzgerald, with an address in Finglas, admitted to participating in activities intended to facilitate serious offences by a criminal group between November 11th and 18th, 2021. He had been initially charged with attempted murder following an incident in Ballyfermot on November 17th, 2021, but the State indicated it will not proceed with that charge. The prosecution requested a victim impact statement be prepared ahead of sentencing. Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Fitzgerald in custody pending his sentence hearing scheduled for May 26th.
A man convicted of raping, assaulting and coercively controlling a woman over a six-week period has appealed his conviction at the Court of Appeal, arguing his trial was prejudiced by inadmissible evidence. Dean Ward, aged 38, was found guilty in June 2022 of twelve offences committed between June and July 2019 against a woman in Killybegs, County Donegal. He received a sentence of eighteen years, suspended by one year. Ward's counsel submitted that the complainant's references during evidence to previous threats to kill, and prosecution remarks concerning bank transfers, created unfairness that could not be remedied by judicial direction. Counsel also challenged the admission of impact evidence given by the complainant. The Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel countered that such evidence was admissible and essential to establish the complainant's state of mind and the coercive control element of the offences. Mr Justice John Edwards reserved judgment, with a decision to follow.
A former Donegal GAA player will not serve additional prison time following an unsuccessful appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Court of Appeal. Kevin McMenamin, aged 43, from Letterkenny, was convicted of dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm after striking a cyclist with a heavy goods vehicle in Dublin in July 2021. He was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment in January 2024 and disqualified from driving for five years. McMenamin had been released from custody in October 2024 after nine months, having been transferred to an open prison following enhanced remission application. The DPP argued the sentence was unduly lenient given McMenamin's 33 previous convictions, including multiple drink-driving and driving-without-insurance offences, and that he was already disqualified when the incident occurred. Justice Tara Burns dismissed the appeal, finding the sentence, while lenient, was not unduly so, having regard to mitigating factors including McMenamin's guilty plea, remorse, and work history.
A 42-year-old Donegal man with 33 previous convictions, including multiple road traffic offences, appeared before the Court of Appeal on 29 April regarding his sentence for dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm. Kevin McMenamin, from Letterkenny, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the offence and was sentenced in January 2024 to 21 months imprisonment and a five-year driving ban. The incident occurred in July 2021 when McMenamin, who was disqualified from driving at the time, broke a red light at Ballsbridge in Dublin and collided with a cyclist in her late sixties. The woman sustained severe injuries including a broken pelvis and leg trauma, requiring nearly five months of hospitalisation. McMenamin was released from open prison in October 2024 after serving nine months. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed for an increased sentence, arguing the original term was inappropriately lenient and characterising McMenamin as someone who drives with disregard for road users' safety. The court reserved judgement, with delivery scheduled for 6 May.
PJ Sweeney has lost his appeal against a 15-year prison sentence for his role in a violent attack on security workers at a repossessed farmhouse in Strokestown, Co Roscommon. In the Court of Appeal, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, speaking for the three-judge court, dismissed the appeal, finding no error in principle in the original sentence imposed by Judge Martina Baxter. Sweeney, of High Cairn, Ramelton, Co Donegal, was convicted in June 2023 of 15 charges, including aggravated burglary, violent disorder, criminal damage, false imprisonment, assault, arson, and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Defence counsel Michael Bowman SC argued the sentence was excessive and disproportionate, citing Sweeney's good character and lack of prior convictions, and requested a suspended element. However, the Appeal Court rejected these arguments, noting there was no evidence of insight, remorse, or apology from Sweeney. The court emphasized the brutal nature of the attack, which aimed to inflict fear and terror, and upheld the maximum penalty for several offences. Sweeney's co-accused, Martin O'Toole and Paul Beirne, had previously dismissed their legal teams ahead of their own appeals. The Appeal Court confirmed that the trial judge was entitled to impose a custodial sentence without suspension given the circumstances.
Stephen Carberry and Glen Bride, accused of disposing of body parts belonging to murdered teenager Keane Mulready Woods, received a trial date at the Special Criminal Court. The two men appeared before Justice Melanie Greally, who set the trial for January 12, 2026. Carberry, 47, of Dublin 4, faces three charges, including transporting and disposing of body parts to enhance a criminal organisation's ability to commit serious offences, impeding the apprehension of the murderer, and setting fire to a Volvo V40 for the benefit of a criminal organisation. Bride, 31, of Dublin 5, faces two charges: participating in the transportation and disposal of body parts to aid a criminal organisation in committing murder and impeding the apprehension of the killer, and setting fire to the same vehicle. The court agreed to make witness and exhibit orders. The matter was adjourned and will be mentioned again before the Special Criminal Court on October 6. Keane Mulready Woods was last seen alive in Drogheda on January 12, 2020, and was murdered in a house in Drogheda, Co Louth, that month. Body parts were subsequently found in Coolock, Drumcondra, and Rathmullan Park. All allegations remain unproven pending trial.
Two men in their seventies will be extradited to Northern Ireland to face charges relating to the 1975 murder of an RUC officer, the High Court has ruled. John Edward McNicholl, aged 73, of Newmills, Letterkenny, County Donegal, and Seamus Christopher O'Kane, aged 74, of County Meath, had argued their surrender would constitute an abuse of process due to the substantial delay in seeking their extradition. Mr Justice Patrick McGrath rejected both applications, finding no evidence to suggest either man would be denied a fair trial in Northern Ireland. McNicholl and O'Kane face charges arising from the investigation into the death of Constable Robert John McPherson, shot dead in County Derry on 26 July 1975. Both men escaped from the Maze Prison in May 1976 before trial proceedings commenced. The matter was adjourned to 3 April, with both men remanded on continuing bail pending their surrender.
A 59-year-old man from Dunfanaghy, County Donegal has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment following his conviction for the sexual abuse of two teenage girls over two decades ago. Andrew Robert John McElhinney was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury on seven of nine counts following trial in Monaghan last July. He was convicted of three counts of sexual assault and three sample counts of rape relating to the first complainant, and one count of sexual assault against the second. The offences occurred between May 1998 and September 2000 and took place predominantly in McElhinney's home. At the time, the victims were approximately 14 and 16 years old, while McElhinney was 19 years their senior. Justice Patrick McGrath imposed the sentence having regard to the serious and lasting impact on the victims, the breach of trust involved, the age disparity, and the repeated nature of the abuse. The judge noted McElhinney's lack of cooperation with probation services and his continued assertion of innocence despite the jury verdict.
Mark McAnaw, 52, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the harassment of Nicola Tallant, Amanda Brunker, and Deirdre Reynolds on various dates in August 2023. The court heard that McAnaw, who has previous convictions including rape and kidnapping, sent explicit and threatening emails to the three women, who are journalists. He also turned up at the Sunday World's office and contacted Ms. Brunker via social media. McAnaw is currently detained in the Central Mental Hospital. The court noted that at the time of the offending, he was not taking his medication. Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the case until June 5 to prepare a probation report and obtain an up-to-date psychiatric report. The matter was adjourned and not concluded. McAnaw previously received an eight-year, four-month sentence for an attack in 2018, with the final 16 months suspended for 16 years, and was placed under Probation Services supervision. The victims described living in fear due to the threats.
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns were convicted of the murder of Robin Wilkin, 66, at the Central Criminal Court on Thursday following a two-month trial. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory life sentence on each defendant yesterday. Vial, aged 39, from Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, and Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, County Donegal, had both pleaded not guilty to the charge. A jury returned guilty verdicts by majority, ten to two. The court heard that Mr Wilkin suffered severe head injuries after being struck multiple times with a rock near Killybegs on June 25, 2023. His body was subsequently disposed of from Sliabh Liag cliffs. At sentencing, Mr Wilkin's sister Irene McAleer delivered a victim-impact statement, stating the family was overwhelmed by the defendants' absence of remorse and distressed by the manner in which the body was discarded. Vial's sentence was backdated to July 14, 2023, and Burns' to August 29, 2023.
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns have been found guilty of murdering 66-year-old Robert Wilkin at the Central Criminal Court. The jury returned majority verdicts of ten to two against each accused. Wilkin's body was discovered in the sea below Sliabh Liag cliffs in County Donegal on June 25, 2023, eight days after his death. The trial heard that Wilkin suffered at least two depressed fractures to the head before being thrown from the cliff. DNA evidence linked blood and hair found on a rock at the cliff top to the victim. Both accused blamed the other for the assault, but the prosecution argued they acted in joint enterprise to cause serious harm. Vial, aged 39 from Killybegs, and Burns, aged 23 from Carrick, had pleaded not guilty. Both will receive the mandatory life sentence at a sentencing hearing, where the victim's family will make statements to the court.
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns were convicted of murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court. The court found that the pair killed 66-year-old Robert Wilkin and disposed of his body by throwing it off Sliabh Liag, Ireland's tallest cliffs. Following their convictions, Vial and Burns face the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murder. The prosecution alleged that the defendants struck Wilkin with a rock, stole his cash and personal items, and fabricated a story claiming he had sexually assaulted Burns. Vial testified in his own defence, alleging Wilkin attacked him first, but the jury rejected his account. The State Pathologist testified that the blows to Wilkin's head would not have caused instant death, contradicting Vial's claims. The court noted Vial's history of offending and his attempts to destroy evidence, including washing blood from his hands at Teelin Pier. The matter was finalised with the mandatory life sentences imposed on both defendants.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court has sought clarification on the legal definition of joint enterprise whilst deliberating in the trial of two Donegal residents accused of murder. Alan Vial, aged 39, from Drumanoo Head, and Nikita Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, are charged with murdering a 66-year-old man whose body was disposed of at Sliabh Liag in June 2023. Both defendants deny the charge and have each accused the other of committing the fatal act. The prosecution contends that both participated in a joint enterprise to cause serious injury. Mr Justice Paul McDermott instructed the jury that mere presence at a crime scene does not constitute participation, and that the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that each accused assisted in the killing with intent to kill or cause serious harm. The jury also examined bloodstained clothing belonging to Ms Burns, with defence counsel suggesting an alternative explanation for the presence of DNA evidence. Deliberations are ongoing.
A jury has begun deliberations in the Central Criminal Court in the murder trial of two Co Donegal residents. Alan Vial, aged 39, from Drumanoo Head in Killybegs, and Nikita Burns, aged 23, from Carrick, have each pleaded not guilty to the murder of Robert Robin Wilkin on 25 June 2023. The 66-year-old's body was discovered at Sliabh Liag. The prosecution alleges both accused engaged in a joint enterprise to cause serious harm to Mr Wilkin. However, each has accused the other of striking the fatal blow with a rock. Mr Justice Paul McDermott charged the jury that if they find either accused not guilty of murder, they may consider an alternative verdict of impeding the prosecution of their co-accused. The jury of seven women and five men spent approximately two hours deliberating before adjourning. They will resume consideration of their verdict tomorrow.
At the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott has warned the jury that it would be dangerous to rely on the testimony of Alan Vial, who has implicated his co-accused Nikita Burns in the death of Robert Wilkin. Both deny murdering the 66-year-old man, whose body was discovered in the sea near Sliabh Liag in Donegal on June 33, 2023, eight days after he died. The prosecution alleges that Vial and Burns were engaged in a joint enterprise to cause serious harm to Wilkin before placing him over the cliffs. Vial testified that Burns struck Wilkin with a rock, while Burns told gardaí that Vial inflicted the fatal blows. The judge instructed the jury that whilst Vial's cross-examined court evidence may be considered against Burns, uncorroborated testimony from a co-accused on the same charge carries inherent risks of fabrication or false implication. The jury was also directed on alternative verdicts and the distinction between murder and impeding prosecution. The trial continues next week. Alan Vial pleaded not guilty. Nikita Burns pleaded not guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court, closing arguments concluded in the trial of two people charged with the murder of Robert Robin Wilkin near Sliabh Liag in County Donegal on 25 June 2023. Nikita Burns (23) of Carrick and Alan Vial (39) of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, have both pleaded not guilty to the charge. Defence counsel for Ms Burns contended she was a bystander to the killing and had no part in placing Mr Wilkin over the cliffs. She has pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of another person, having cleaned blood from a vehicle. Counsel for Mr Vial argued the evidence demonstrates Ms Burns inflicted the fatal blows. Mr Wilkin's remains were recovered from the sea eight days after the alleged murder. State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster identified two depressed skull fractures inconsistent with the cliff fall. Mr Justice Paul McDermott will charge the jury tomorrow.
At the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution has described Alan Vial, aged 39, of Killybegs, County Donegal, as a "cynical liar" who fabricated his account to evade responsibility for the death of 66-year-old Robert Robin' Wilkin. Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, told the jury that Mr Vial claimed his co-accused Nikita Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, County Donegal, delivered the fatal blows after the three had spent time in public houses together in June 2023. The prosecution alleges that both accused acted with joint intention to cause serious harm. Mr Wilkin's body was subsequently deposited at Sliabh Liag cliffs. The prosecution case relies on DNA evidence, CCTV footage, blood spatter analysis, and admissions allegedly made by Ms Burns to witnesses. Mr Condon submitted that evidence against Ms Burns constitutes the "clearest possible case of murder." Both accused have pleaded not guilty to murder. Defence closing speeches and the judge's charge to the jury are scheduled to follow.
At the Central Criminal Court, the State Pathologist gave evidence in the trial of two individuals charged with the murder of a man alleged to have been pushed from Sliabh Liag cliffs in County Donegal in June 2023. Dr Margaret Bolster told the court that two skull fractures identified on the deceased would not have caused immediate death if they were the only injuries sustained. She stated the fractures were consistent with blows from a blunt object rather than a fall from the cliff, but that such injuries would have resulted in death within five to thirty minutes due to blood loss. The cause of death remains undetermined due to the body's advanced decomposition following eight days in the sea. Alan Vial, aged 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, and Nikita Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, have both pleaded not guilty to murder. The jury will hear closing speeches following the completion of evidence.
The trial of Alan Vial and Nikita Burns at the Central Criminal Court has been adjourned for ten days to allow legal representatives to address an outstanding matter. Both defendants deny murdering Robert Robin Wilkin, whose body was discovered in the sea below Sliabh Liag in Donegal in July 2023, eight days after his alleged death on 25 June. Mr Justice Paul McDermott informed the jury of twelve that proceedings will resume on 24 February. The trial, which commenced on 17 January, had been anticipated to conclude this week or next. Vial, aged 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, and Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, both deny the murder charge. State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster identified depressed fractures to the deceased's skull inconsistent with injuries sustained from a cliff fall. A rock found at the cliff top, bearing blood and DNA matching the deceased, was presented as potentially consistent with causing those injuries. Alan Vial pleaded not guilty. Nikita Burns pleaded not guilty.
Alan Vial, aged 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal, denied during cross-examination at the Central Criminal Court that he fabricated allegations against his co-accused to evade responsibility for the death of Robert Robin Wilkin, aged 66. Mr Vial, who has pleaded not guilty to murder, maintains he did not strike the deceased with a rock. He claims his co-accused, Nikita Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, County Donegal, struck Mr Wilkin twice on the back of the head with a rock during an altercation in a vehicle near Roshine on 25 June 2023. Ms Burns has also pleaded not guilty to murder. During cross-examination, Mr Vial acknowledged providing false accounts to gardaí during interviews but insisted his current testimony is truthful. He confirmed wading into Teelin Pier to wash blood from his clothing but denied this indicated culpability. The trial continues.
Alan Vial, 39, and Nikita Burns, 23, are on trial accused of murdering 66-year-old Robert 'Robin' Wilkin and disposing of his body over the cliffs at Sliabh Liag in Donegal. In his direct evidence, Mr Vial admitted to lying to gardai in 2023 regarding the circumstances of Mr Wilkin's death. He accepted that he and Ms Burns fabricated a story claiming the deceased had sexually assaulted Ms Burns, a narrative he initiated to protect her. Mr Vial denied striking Mr Wilkin with a rock, instead alleging that Ms Burns struck the deceased on the back of the head twice during a fight in a car on Roshine Road. He stated he drove to Sliabh Liag with the deceased in the vehicle and placed him over the cliff. Mr Vial also admitted to washing blood from his clothes at Teelin Pier and discarding a blue shirt at sea to destroy evidence, confirming that the shirt found by searchers was his. He rejected suggestions that he had carefully constructed lies to disguise a premeditated killing. The trial is ongoing; the jury was informed that a legal issue has arisen which will delay proceedings, and they are scheduled to return tomorrow.
A 39-year-old man accused of murder has testified at the Central Criminal Court that his co-accused struck the alleged victim with a rock, causing the pensioner's death. Alan Vial, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal, told the court he was physically struggling with Robert Robin Wilkin when Nikita Burns hit Mr Wilkin on the back of the head with a rock. Mr Vial admitted he subsequently drove to Sliabh Liag to dispose of the body, which he and Ms Burns then placed over a cliff. He stated he had lied in garda interviews to protect Ms Burns, with whom he was in a relationship. The 66-year-old's body was recovered from the waters below Sliabh Liag eight days after his death on 25 June 2023. A post-mortem examination identified skull fractures inconsistent with injuries from a fall. Both Mr Vial and Ms Burns, of Carrick, County Donegal, have pleaded not guilty to murder. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
A geologist has given evidence at the Central Criminal Court that a bloodied rock allegedly used in the murder of a pensioner near Sliabh Liag in Donegal was most likely transported to the scene by human activity rather than occurring naturally there. Dr Sophie O'Connor of the Geological Survey Ireland told the trial she used Google Street View to trace a rock matching the alleged murder weapon to a wall on Roshin Road between Sliabh Liag and Killybegs. The 3.5-kilogramme quartzite rock bore strong similarities in shape, size and lichen staining to the rock recovered by gardaí, she said. DNA evidence previously heard matched the rock to the deceased, Robert Robin' Wilkin, aged 66. Alan Vial of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs and Nikita Burns of Carrick both deny his murder on 25 June 2023. The prosecution case has now concluded, with closing speeches to begin on Monday. Alan Vial pleaded not guilty. Nikita Burns pleaded not guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court, a witness told how he harboured growing concerns about his sister's wellbeing in the period preceding an alleged murder in Donegal. The brother of Nikita Burns said he was worried that she had ceased taking prescribed medication for her bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, and that she appeared to be consuming alcohol during daylight hours. Burns and Alan Vial, both of Co Donegal, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Robert Wilkin, a 66-year-old whose body was recovered from the sea beneath Sliabh Liag in June 2023. State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster informed the jury that whilst the fall down the cliff complicated her assessment, she identified two depressed fractures to the back of the deceased's skull inconsistent with cliff-fall injuries and consistent with blunt force trauma. A rock recovered from the cliff top bearing blood and hair matching the deceased was presented as evidence. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury.
Three men have been sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court following a violent home invasion in Monkstown, Co Dublin on August 21st, 2023. Michael Royal, Thomas Dwyer and Patrick Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and false imprisonment. The court heard that four men, one of whom remains unidentified, forced their way into the family home in the early morning, restraining a man in his 70s with cable ties and removing his wife, daughter and six-year-old grandchild from their beds. During the attack, the homeowner was struck on the head with a metal bar, requiring 13 staples, and his daughter was dragged by her hair when attempting to escape. The intruders demanded information related to a bank where the victim had worked two decades earlier. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a headline sentence of ten and a half years, sentencing Royal and Fitzgerald to seven and a half years each and Dwyer to five and a half years, taking account of his comparative youth and lesser criminal history.
Three men who were convicted of a vigilante attack on security personnel at a repossessed farmhouse in Roscommon appeared before the Court of Appeal on 4 February to challenge the severity of their sentences. Martin O'Toole, aged 60, from Claremorris, County Mayo, discharged his legal representation and walked out of court after being refused permission to read a statement into the record, effectively withdrawing his appeal. Paul Beirne, aged 58, from Boyle, County Roscommon, subsequently indicated he would not continue with his appeal. PJ Sweeney, aged 59, from Ramelton, County Donegal, proceeded with his appeal, with counsel arguing the 15-year sentence was excessive and disproportionate, citing mitigating factors and good character. The Director of Public Prosecutions contended the sentence was appropriate given the serious and violent nature of the December 2018 attack at Strokestown. The court reserved judgement.
Alan Vial, aged 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Robert Robin Wilkin, a 66-year-old pensioner, on 25 June 2023 in Donegal. Mr Wilkin's body was recovered eight days later in the sea below Sliabh Liag cliffs. During interview at Ballyshannon Garda Station, Mr Vial acknowledged a physical altercation at the cliff-top location but maintained that Mr Wilkin was alive and breathing when he last saw him. He denied striking the deceased with a rock or throwing him from the cliff, though he acknowledged placing Mr Wilkin over a fence approximately four metres from the cliff edge. Nikita Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, County Donegal, has also pleaded not guilty to the charge. The trial is proceeding before the Central Criminal Court.
A woman charged with murdering a pensioner told gardaí she had exaggerated claims made to a friend about involvement in his death, the Central Criminal Court heard on Wednesday. Nikita Burns, of Carrick, County Donegal, and Alan Vial, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Robert Robin Wilkin on 25 June 2023 in Donegal. Mr Wilkin's body was discovered in waters below Sliabh Liag cliffs eight days later. Detective Garda Patrick Farrell outlined Ms Burns' account to gardaí during interviews at Ballyshannon Garda Station, in which she initially denied knowledge of events before providing a detailed statement in her third interview. Ms Burns alleged that Mr Vial struck the deceased multiple times with a rock at Roshine in Fintown and subsequently pushed his body from the cliff. Following gardaí playing a recorded conversation with a witness in which Ms Burns referenced violent acts, she stated she had been intoxicated and had overstated her involvement to protect Mr Vial.
A 3.5-kilogramme rock recovered from the Sliabh Liag cliffs near Killybegs contained hundreds of hairs and extensive bloodstaining consistent with a pensioner's injuries, the Central Criminal Court has heard. Forensic Science Ireland expert Dr Conor Young told the trial that DNA from blood on the rock matched Robert Robin Wilkin, whose body was recovered from the sea in July 2023, eight days after the alleged incident. Detective Garda Jeanette O'Neill of the Garda Technical Bureau testified that she found the rock near a tourist viewing point on the cliff edge, alongside reading glasses, a chain, and a coin. Blood spatter analysis of a Volkswagen Passat indicated the assault occurred within the vehicle. Dr Young also identified DNA matching Mr Wilkin on blue leggings and Timberland boots allegedly belonging to the accused. Alan Vial of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, and Nikita Burns of Carrick, both in County Donegal, have pleaded not guilty to Mr Wilkin's murder on 25 June 2023. The trial before Mr Justice Paul McDermott continues.
At the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, the State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster gave evidence in the trial of Nikita Burns, aged 23, of Carrick, County Donegal, and Alan Vial, aged 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal. Both are charged with the murder of a 66-year-old man on 25 June 2023 in Donegal. Dr Bolster told the court that the deceased's body, recovered from the sea near Sliabh Liag eight days after the alleged incident, bore two depressed fractures to the rear of the skull inconsistent with injuries caused by a cliff fall. She stated these injuries appeared consistent with a blunt-force weapon strike and were likely inflicted before death. Additional evidence heard included testimony from gardaí at the scene of a car crash later that day in the Fintown area and from emergency responders. Both accused have pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the Central Criminal Court, a jury has viewed CCTV footage documenting the alleged movements of two defendants on the night of a pensioner's death in County Donegal. Nikita Burns, aged 22, of Carrick, and Alan Vial, aged 39, of Killybegs, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Robert Robin Wilkin on 25 June 2023. Mr Wilkin's remains were recovered from waters below Sliabh Liag cliffs a week later. The prosecution alleges the three men left a public house in Dunkineely at approximately 1.30am and travelled by Volkswagen Passat towards Roshine, where an assault is believed to have occurred. CCTV evidence presented to the jury showed the vehicle at Sliabh Liag ranger's hut at 2.20am, proceeding towards the clifftop before returning approximately 38 minutes later. The State contends Mr Wilkin was thereafter thrown from the cliffs. Sergeant Ronan Gallagher detailed the vehicle's movements across multiple locations and timestamps. Witness testimony included observations of Mr Vial's appearance later that day. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and jury.