Case No. 2144Murder · Co. Donegal · 25 Jun 2023
Alan Vial and Nikita Burns sentenced to life for murder of Robin Wilkin in Donegal
Alan Vial, 39, and Nikita Burns, 23, were sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul McDermott for the murder of 66-year-old Robin Wilkin in Donegal on 25 June 2023, after a jury found each guilty by a ten-to-two majority following a two-month trial. Wilkin was struck multiple times with a rock near Killybegs and his body was dumped off Sliabh Liag, Ireland's tallest sea cliffs.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court24 Feb
4 reports - Convicted6 Mar
2 reports - Sentenced7 Mar
2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports89 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe State alleges the skull fractures were inflicted with a rock (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial said he was fighting with the pensioner when Burns hit the victim on the back of the head with a rock (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial denied striking Wilkin at any point (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial said Burns struck Wilkin twice on the back of the head with a rock causing his immediate death (irishtimes.com)
- whatTwo depressed fractures to the back of the skull were not consistent with injuries from falling from the cliff (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe fractures were consistent with blows from a blunt object such as a rock (irishtimes.com)
- whatIf the skull fractures were the only injuries, death would have resulted after between five and 30 minutes from blood loss (irishtimes.com)
- whatDr Bolster did not think it likely Wilkin would have lived more than 15 minutes without medical intervention (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe blows probably caused concussion but would not have caused bruising to the brain (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe amount of blood found in the car would suggest Wilkin was alive and bleeding for a period of time (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial claimed his co-accused Nikita Burns delivered the fatal blows (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Wilkin was driving the vehicle (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Wilkin was not seen by CCTV for about 15 minutes (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe recording made clear Ms Burns showed no remorse and did not think she would be caught (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial and Burns twice returned to Sliabh Liag in the hours that followed to check if anyone had seen the body (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe prosecution alleged Vial and Burns were part of a joint enterprise to cause serious harm to Wilkin before putting him over the cliffs. (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial said Burns appeared at the front passenger door and twice struck Wilkin on the back of the head with a rock. (irishtimes.com)
- whatBurns denied striking Wilkin and described a fight in which Vial hit the deceased six or seven times with a rock. (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial accepted he told multiple lies during 20 hours of interviews with gardaí, including that Wilkin was still alive and breathing when they left him near the cliff edge. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Burns denied striking Mr Wilkin in her garda interviews and claimed Mr Vial beat the deceased with a rock. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Vial testified that Ms Burns struck Mr Wilkin twice on the back of the head with a rock, causing him to stop breathing. (irishtimes.com)
- whatCCTV footage showed the three drinking in various pubs in Dunkineely late into the night of 24 June 2023 and the early hours of the following morning. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Vial said he drove to Sliabh Liag with Ms Burns in the passenger seat and Mr Wilkin lying with his head in the back seat and his legs over the centre console. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Vial alleged Ms Burns helped him put the body over a fence near a viewing area and from there it rolled over the edge of the cliff. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Burns denied any involvement in putting the body over the cliff. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe body of Robert 'Robin' Wilkin was found in the sea by the Irish Coastguard eight days after it was thrown over the Sliabh Liag cliffs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatAlan Vial and Nikita Burns were found guilty of murdering 66-year-old Robert 'Robin' Wilkin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr Wilkin suffered at least two depressed fractures to the head before he was put over Sliabh Liag. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatWilkin was a Tyrone man, 6ft tall and weighing about 90kg, who had worked in concrete and paving all his life. (irishtimes.com)
- whatOn the day of the killing, Vial and Burns each drank six cans of Carlsberg before going to the Fleet Inn in Killybegs. (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial drove to Teelin Pier after the killing and waded into the water to wash blood from his hands and clothes, throwing his bloodstained shirt into the sea. (irishtimes.com)
- whatRobin Wilkin was the eldest sibling in the family. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- whatRobin Wilkin suffered severe head injuries after being struck multiple times with a rock at Roshin, near Killybegs. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe killers drove to Sliabh Liag where they put him over the cliffs and disposed of his neck chain, watch and other personal items. (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial and Burns blamed one another for the fatal assault but the jury accepted they were involved in a joint enterprise to cause serious injury. (irishtimes.com)
- whatVial is 39 and from Drumanoo Head, Killybegs. (irishtimes.com)
- whatBurns is 23 and of Carrick, Co Donegal. (irishtimes.com)
- whatRobin Wilkin, 66, was murdered in Donegal on 25 June 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMr Wilkin suffered severe head injuries after being struck multiple times with a rock at an area known as Roshin, near Killybegs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe killers drove to Sliabh Liag and put his body over the cliffs, disposing of his neck chain, watch and other personal items. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatVial and Burns blamed one another for the fatal assault but the jury accepted the prosecution case of joint enterprise to cause serious injury. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereAll three were drinking together in pubs in Dunkineely, Co Donegal (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe vehicle pulled over in an area known as Roshine (irishtimes.com)
- whereAlan Vial is from Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, Co Donegal (irishtimes.com)
- whereNikita Burns is from Carrick, Co Donegal (irishtimes.com)
- whereThey left Dunkineely in a car driven by Mr Wilkin, headed towards Killybegs, and stopped at an area known as Roshine. (irishtimes.com)
- whereMr Vial is from Drumanoo Head, Killybegs. (irishtimes.com)
- whereMs Burns is of Carrick, Co Donegal. (irishtimes.com)
- whereVial is from Drumanoo Head, Killybegs and Burns is of Carrick, Co Donegal. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe body was found eight days after the alleged murder (irishtimes.com)
- whenVial met Wilkin in a bar in May 2023, a few months before the murder. (irishtimes.com)
- weaponBurns struck Wilkin twice with a rock on the back of the head, causing him to stop breathing, according to Vial's testimony. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí first became aware something might have happened to Mr Wilkin when Nikita Burns told people she and Alan Vial had beaten a man with a rock and thrown him off Sliabh Liag. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationDue to predator damage and decomposition, State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster was unable to identify a cause of death. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe two fractures to the back of the head were not consistent with the fall down the cliff and were entirely consistent with having been caused by a bloody rock found by Gardaí at the top of the cliffs. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationDNA testing showed that the blood on the rock and hairs clinging to it belonged to Robin Wilkin. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe Irish Coast Guard recovered Wilkin's body eight days after his death, floating in the waters below Sliabh Liag. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationPathologist Dr Margot Bolster found it impossible to establish the cause of death due to decomposition and damage. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA flat rock covered in blood and matted with hundreds of hairs was found nearby, and DNA analysis confirmed the blood and hairs belonged to Wilkin. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationCCTV from the Sliabh Liag car park showed Vial and Burns returned to the cliff a few hours after the killing and again later in the afternoon. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationChris Quinn and Sharon O'Dowd told gardaí that Nikita Burns had confessed to murdering a man and throwing him off the cliffs at Sliabh Liag. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe prosecution alleges Vial and Burns acted together with the joint intention of causing serious harm to Mr Wilkin (irishtimes.com)
- chargeBoth pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Wilkin in Donegal on June 25th, 2023 (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe prosecution alleges the accused engaged in a joint enterprise to cause serious harm to Mr Wilkin. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeBoth had pleaded not guilty to Mr Wilkin's murder in Donegal on June 25, 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial had been adjourned for 10 days after Vial gave evidence (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Paul McDermott told the jury the evidence is now complete and closing speeches will follow (irishtimes.com)
- courtBarristers for Vial and Burns will deliver closing speeches on Wednesday before Mr Justice Paul McDermott delivers his charge to the jury (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Paul McDermott was delivering his charge to a jury of seven women and five men. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe trial began on 17 January. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury was not available to sit the following day or Monday and would return the next Tuesday. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury of seven women and five men began deliberations on Tuesday after the judge's charge. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge warned the jury of the danger that a co-accused may fabricate evidence or falsely implicate their co-accused. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury verdict must be unanimous and they can take as much time as they need. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury spent about two hours considering their verdict on Tuesday and will return to the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday to continue deliberations. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury of seven women and five men at the Central Criminal Court returned majority, ten to two, verdicts in respect of each accused on Thursday. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMr Justice Paul McDermott exempted them from further jury service for ten years. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtA jury found each defendant guilty of murder by majority verdicts of 10 to 2 following a two-month trial. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA jury found each of Vial and Burns guilty of murder by majority, ten to two, verdicts following a two-month trial. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceBoth will be sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment at a sentencing hearing on Friday. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceMr Justice Paul McDermott sentenced both to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceVial's sentence was backdated to 14 July 2023 when he first went into custody. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceBurns' sentence was backdated to 29 August 2023. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherNikita Burns wept as prison officers escorted her from the court while Vial chatted with members of his legal team. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherVial had a long history of offending in Australia and Ireland including driving offences, drink driving, possession of drugs and possession of a weapon. (irishtimes.com)
- otherBurns was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, spent time in psychiatric units and sometimes lived on the streets. (irishtimes.com)
- otherBurns said she hoped the body would not be found and that the victim's family wouldn't bother to come looking for him. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherVial declared during a garda interview that it was ironic that Robin had said he wanted to be buried at sea. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherIrene McAleer, sister of the deceased, delivered a statement on behalf of herself and her surviving siblings David and Marie. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 7 Mar2025Life in prison for pair who dumped man's body off Ireland's tallest sea cliffs
Sentencing details: both received mandatory life sentences; Vial's sentence backdated to 14 July 2023 and Burns' to 29 August 2023. Victim impact statement from sister Irene McAleer. Details of the killing (struck with a rock at Roshin, body dumped off Sliabh Liag) and the joint-enterprise finding confirmed.
victim, Robin Wilkin, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)Robin Wilkinconvicted, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialconvicted, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns - 7 Mar2025Sliabh Liag murder case: Victim’s sister says nothing could have prepared her for ‘evil and harrowing details’
Adds the victim's sister's victim impact statement, details on backdating of sentences (Vial to 14 July 2023, Burns to 29 August 2023), the method of killing (struck with a rock at Roshin near Killybegs before being dumped over Sliabh Liag cliffs), the defendants' post-offence remarks, and the role of witnesses Chris Quinn and Sharon O'Dowd who heard Burns confess.
victim, Robin Wilkin, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)Robin Wilkinconvicted, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialconvicted, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns - 6 Mar2025Sliabh Liag case: How Alan Vial and Nikita Burns were convicted of murdering Robert Wilkin
Extensive feature article providing detailed trial coverage including Burns's confession to friends within 24 hours, Vial's testimony and contradictions, the pathologist's findings on the rock blows, and the forensic evidence gathered at Sliabh Liag.
victim, Robert 'Robin' Wilkin, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)Robert 'Robin' Wilkinsuspect, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialsuspect, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns - 6 Mar2025Man and woman guilty of murder of man whose body was thrown off famous cliffs
Reports the guilty verdict returned by the jury on 6 March 2025, with forensic details including depressed skull fractures consistent with a bloody rock found at the top of the cliffs and DNA evidence linking the rock to the victim.
victim, Robert 'Robin' Wilkin, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)Robert 'Robin' Wilkinconvicted, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialconvicted, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns - 4 Mar2025Jury begins deliberations in Sliabh Liag murder trial
Provides details of the judge's charge to the jury, the alternative verdict of impeding prosecution, the CCTV evidence from Dunkineely pubs, the prosecution's account of the sequence of events at Roshine and Sliabh Liag, and the jury's initial two-hour deliberation before continuing the next day.
victim, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)accused, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialaccused, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns - 27 Feb2025Sliabh Liag murder trial jury warned it could be dangerous to act on testimony of accused
Details of the judge's charge to the jury, including Vial's account of the killing, Burns's contradictory statement to gardaí, guidance on joint enterprise and the use of lies as evidence of guilt, and the trial's procedural schedule.
victim, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)accused, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialaccused, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns - 25 Feb2025Sliabh Liag murder trial: Man accused has heaped ‘lies upon lies’, jury hears
Prosecution closing address detailing the alleged sequence of events: the three drank in Dunkineely pubs, Wilkin drove the car which pulled over at Roshine (15-minute CCTV gap), he was beaten with a rock, then driven to Sliabh Liag and put over the cliff. Condon highlighted Burns' recorded admissions, the DNA/CCTV/blood spatter evidence, and that both accused returned to Sliabh Liag to check if anyone saw the body. Defence closing speeches and judge's charge to follow.
victim, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)accused, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialaccused, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns - 24 Feb2025Man would not have died immediately from skull fractures, Sliabh Liag murder trial hears
Pathologist testimony on cause of death and timing of death; Vial's defence evidence describing the fight; Burns's defence cross-examination of the pathologist; closing speeches scheduled for the following day.
victim, 66, male, non-irish (judged from name)accused, Alan Vial, 39, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Alan Vialaccused, Nikita Burns, 23, female, named, non-irish (judged from name)Nikita Burns