The brother of a man on trial for murdering a man in south Donegal has told the jury he called over to his home on the day in question to clean his car.
Alan Vial, of Drumanoo, Killybegs; and Nikita Burns of Carrick, Co Donegal, are accused of murdering Robert Wilkin, and throwing him off the cliffs at Sliabh Liagh.
Bruce Vial told the jury that a few days before the alleged murder, he remembers his brother and Robert Wilkin having, “a bit of an altercation” in his home.
He said they were aggressive towards one another, but that it didn’t turn physical.
He said the next time he met his brother was the afternoon of the alleged murder, when he and Nikita Burns called over to clean a black Volkswagen Passat.
He said they used his hoover, as well as various cleaning sprays and cloths.
When they were finished, he said he noticed the vacuum cleaner was full of red gunk, that he assumed was vomit.
He said there was also a noticeable crack on the windscreen, which wasn’t there when they arrived in the car with Robert Wilkin a few days beforehand.
It is the prosecution’s case that the car was being cleaned after Alan Vial and Nikita Burns had murdered Mr Wilkin, and disposed of the body.
They have pleaded not guilty.
