Pair to face trial at Central Legal Courtroom for Sliabh Liag cliffs homicide

Two individuals have been despatched ahead for trial on the Central Legal Courtroom charged with homicide after the physique of a person was discovered off Sliabh Liag cliffs on July third final.

Alan Vial and Nikita Burns have been charged with murdering Robert Wilkin.

Vial, 38, appeared in particular person at Letterkenny District Courtroom whereas Burns, 21, appeared by videolink from the Dóchas Centre at Mountjoy Jail.

The court docket was advised that the Director of Public Prosecutions has consented to sending each ahead for trial to the present sitting of the Central Legal Courtroom.

Detective Garda Shane Maye advised the court docket he served a e book of proof on Vial this morning in court docket at 11.18am.

Vial, who wore a blue padded jacket and denims, didn’t converse throughout the listening to.

Choose Eiteain Cunningham learn him the alibi warning and assigned his solicitor, Mr Patsy Gallagher, free authorized assist and assigned the accused each a senior and junior counsel within the case.

The Choose adjourned the case till the present sitting of the Central Legal Courtroom on November twenty eighth subsequent.

Detective Sergeant Mattie Murphy advised the court docket he served a e book of proof through Ms Burns’ solicitor, Mr Rory O’Brien at 11.13am this morning.

She too was given the alibi warning and assigned free authorized assist in addition to a senior and junior counsel.

Her case was additionally adjourned till November twenty eighth subsequent on the Central Legal Courtroom.

Vial and Burns are charged that on June 25, 2023, at a spot unknown inside the State, they did homicide one Robert Wilkin (also referred to as Robin Wilkin).

The physique of Mr Wilkin, aged in his 60s and initially from County Tyrone, was discovered floating in waters off Sliabh Liag on July 3.

Over 200 statements have been taken within the case with detectives piecing collectively a posh jigsaw of proof having gathered ‘properly in extra’ of 200 displays.

Sixteen interviews had been carried out with the accused whereas six crime scenes had been designated. Different scenes of curiosity had been additionally examined by Gardai.

Detective Garda Ciaran O’Brien advised an earlier court docket sitting that there was a ‘big’ quantity of forensic evaluation required within the matter.

Vial and Burns had been initially arrested on June 26 on suspicion of a critical assault. It adopted data acquired by Gardai which led to a large-scale search round standard vacationer vacation spot.

Whereas each had been launched with out cost on that event, Vial was then introduced earlier than Ballyshannon District Courtroom on July 14 the place he was charged with homicide whereas Burns was introduced earlier than Letterkenny District Courtroom on August 29 when she was additionally charged with homicide.

Following an in depth search involving Gardai, the Irish Coastguard together with Rescue 118 and the Donegal Mountain Rescue Crew, a physique was recovered in water off the cliffs on July 3.

The physique was taken to Letterkenny College Hospital the place a full submit mortem was carried out by the State Pathologist’s Workplace.

The findings of that submit mortem haven’t been launched for Garda operational causes.

Pair to face trial at Central Legal Courtroom for Sliabh Liag cliffs homicide was final modified: November twentieth, 2023 by Employees Author