Alan Vial appeals murder conviction over Sliabh Liag killing

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

Alan Vial’s murder conviction was challenged at the Court of Appeal on 23 July 2026, according to a report published that day; his appeal was heard alongside Nikita Burns’s.

Vial’s counsel argued that the pair should have been tried separately because Burns’s statements could prejudice Vial in the jury’s eyes. He accepted that the trial judge had warned jurors not to use one accused’s statements as evidence against the other.

Burns’s counsel argued that her incriminating statements were involuntary and should not have been heard. The Director of Public Prosecutions opposed both appeals, arguing that evidence against Vial was sufficient and Burns’s statements to private citizens were admissible.

The three-judge Court of Appeal reserved judgment.