Alan Vial and Nikita Burns appeal murder convictions

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Alan Vial and Nikita Burns appealed their murder convictions at the Court of Appeal on 23 July 2026. The convictions arose from the murder of Robert Wilkin in County Donegal.

Vial argued that Burns’s admissions had prejudiced the jury and that the pair should have been tried separately. Burns argued that her statements to others were not voluntary and should not have been heard by the jury.

The prosecution opposed the appeals, arguing that the evidence supported Vial’s conviction and that the jury had been properly directed. The three-judge court reserved judgment.