The Daily Star Ireland
The sister of Robert “Robin” Wilkin has expressed her deep anguish and sorrow at the lack of any sign of remorse from the two individuals found guilty of her brother’s murder, describing them as cold and calculating. What haunts her family even more, she said, is the way his body was discarded over the edge of Ireland’s highest sea cliffs at Sliabh Liag, as if his life had no value.
The 66-year-old was brutally attacked on June 25, 2023, struck on the head with a rock before being thrown off the cliffs. On the previous day, a jury at the Central Criminal Court found 39-year-old Alan Vial from Killybegs and 24-year-old Nikita Burns from An Charraig, both in Co Donegal, guilty of Mr Wilkin’s murder. Despite both denying responsibility, each tried to blame the other during the trial. However, the jury concluded they acted together, carrying out the crime as a joint enterprise.
Vial and Burns were each sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. Vial’s sentence was backdated to July 14, 2023, the date of his initial detention, while Burns’ sentence was backdated to August 29, 2023, when she was first taken into custody.
Family’s Anguish and Lasting Pain
Mr Wilkin’s sister, Irene McAleer, who attended every day of the trial, delivered a powerful victim impact statement on behalf of herself and her siblings, David and Marie. She described Robin as the eldest of the siblings — someone they all admired and respected. She said her brother’s brutal and senseless killing had shattered their family, leaving only memories of growing up together, all of which had been cruelly overshadowed by the actions of Vial and Burns.
The family’s grief, she said, began with the agonising moment when gardaí informed them Robin had been murdered. What followed was a journey filled with heartbreak, denial, and immense anger.
Sitting through the harrowing details of the trial, hearing how her brother’s body was tossed over the cliffs, was almost unbearable, she said. Witnessing the behaviour of Vial and Burns — who showed not a shred of remorse — was overwhelming. She felt she owed it to her brother’s memory to be present every day, but nothing could have prepared her for the disturbing evidence she would hear.
She was particularly horrified when she learned that Burns had said she hoped Robin’s body would never be found, so his family wouldn’t even search for him. The family’s pain was made even worse when Vial, during his interview with gardaí, mocked Robin’s wish to be buried at sea, turning it into a cruel joke.
Ms McAleer firmly rejected any suggestion that Robin was estranged from his family. She said he had simply chosen his own path in life, and like many siblings, had drifted out of regular contact. His murder had cruelly robbed them of the chance to reconnect now that they were all growing older.
She acknowledged the compassion shown by Vial’s father and stepmother, who approached her in court to offer their condolences and apologise. That moment made her realise that two families had been devastated by the actions of Vial and Burns, but unlike her own family, they would still have the chance to visit their son and speak to him.
Describing the trial as utterly traumatic for her family, she said they endured weeks of distressing evidence and the unbearable wait for the jury’s verdict. The lasting image of her brother’s body being treated with such disregard, thrown over the cliffs as if his life meant nothing, will haunt them forever.
As the sentencing concluded, Ms McAleer said that now, at last, the grieving process could begin. She also thanked the gardaí and all the witnesses who came forward, with particular gratitude extended to Chris Quinn and Sharon O’Dowd, whose evidence was crucial in ensuring Burns and Vial were brought to justice.
Before handing down the life sentences, Mr Justice Paul McDermott expressed his condolences to the Wilkin family, acknowledging the deep suffering they have endured. He praised the professionalism of the investigating gardaí, describing their work on the case as thorough and complex.
With no other sentence available for such a crime, the judge imposed life imprisonment on both Vial and Burns, ensuring they will serve the full mandatory terms for their roles in what he described as a brutal and calculated killing.
