A Donegal man on trial for murder has denied telling lies about his former lover’s involvement in order to escape responsibility for what he did.
Alan Vial, of Drumanoo, Killybegs; denies killing 66-year-old Robert Wilkin, claiming his co-accused, Nikita Burns, of Carrick, Co Donegal, beat him to death with a rock.
Alan Vial has spent the past few days in the box giving evidence in his defence.
He told the jury that while he and Robert Wilkin were fighting in a car, Nikita Burns got a rock from outside and hit the 66yo twice in the back of the head.
Once that happened, he told the jury Mr Wilkin went limp and was clearly dead.
Under cross-examination by Ms Burns’ barrister today, Mr Vial refused to accept that he was the one who bludgeoned Mr Wilkin with the rock.
According to Ms Burns, he hit him 6-7 times with it.
She also claims that she pleaded with him to stop, and that afterwards, he alone dumped Mr Wilkin’s body off the cliffs at Sliabh Liag while she stayed in the car.
It was put to Mr Vial that he lied to the jury about Nikita Burns’ involvement in the hope of escaping responsibility for what he did.
He strongly denied that that was the case.
