Pair guilty of murdering pensioner whose body was thrown off Donegal cliffs

Alan Vial and Nikita Burns have been convicted of murdering Robert Wilkin, a sixty-six-year-old pensioner, at the Central Criminal Court. The jury returned majority verdicts of ten to two against each of the accused following a trial that began in January 2025. Wilkin died on 25 June 2023 near Sliabh Liag in County Donegal. His body was discovered in the sea eight days later, recovered from below the cliff face. Medical evidence presented during the trial established that Wilkin sustained at least two depressed skull fractures to the head before being thrown from the cliff. According to the State Pathologist, these fractures were consistent with blows from a blunt object rather than injuries sustained from a fall. A rock bearing blood and DNA evidence matching the deceased was located at the cliff top. Dr Margaret Bolster gave evidence that such head injuries would have resulted in death within five to thirty minutes due to blood loss, though the exact cause of death could not be determined owing to the advanced decomposition of the remains. Both Vial, aged thirty-nine from Killybegs, and Burns, aged twenty-three from Carrick, had pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. During the trial, each accused blamed the other for the assault. The prosecution contended that both acted in joint enterprise to cause serious harm resulting in death. Defence counsel for Burns argued she was a bystander to the killing, though she has pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of another person in relation to cleaning blood from a vehicle. Defence counsel for Vial argued the evidence demonstrated Burns inflicted the fatal blows. Both Vial and Burns will receive the mandatory life sentence. A sentencing hearing will take place where members of Wilkin's family will have the opportunity to make statements to the court. The case has since progressed to appeal, with both convicted persons seeking to overturn their convictions at the Court of Appeal.