2025-03-06 ยท Donegal
'The Plan': how two lovers came to throw a pensioner's body off Ireland's tallest cliffs
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.