Murder accused says she 'couldn't have stopped' attack

A woman accused of the murder of Robert Wilkin sent a message to her brother saying she "couldn't have stopped" her co-accused from attacking the 66-year-old, a court has heard.

Nikita Burns, 23, from An Charraig, County Donegal, and co-accused lan Vial, 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal, both deny the murder of Mr Wilkin, originally from County Tyrone, on 25 June 2023.

The body of Mr Wilkin, also known as Robin, was found eight days later in the sea at the foot of the Slieve League cliffs in County Donegal.

Nikita Burn's brother, Ruben Burns, told Dublin Central Criminal Court on Thursday that within days of the alleged murder, he received a number of messages from his sister about the night in question.

Mr Burns said that one message he received on Snapchat from his sister read: "Alan [Vial] killed someone and I was in the car at the time".

He said he then asked his sister if she was "involved enough to get put away".

She replied that she was, that she had helped to clean a car in which the assault happened and that she had told a friend over the phone that she "hit him with the rock and dumped the body".

Ms Burns said that her friend recorded the phone conversation but added she was "off my head" when she said it.

Ms Burns then told her brother: "I couldn't have stopped him, he's too strong".

She added that she had been afraid "of what Alan [Vial] would do" if she did not help him clean the car.

Mr Burns told a lawyer for his sister that Nikita Burns suffered "lots of mental health difficulties" throughout her life and that they had been close as children but when he was 14, he moved to Drogheda while his sister remained in County Donegal.

He said they were in regular contact again in 2023 and he knew that prior to this, she had never really worked, had been homeless and spent time in psychiatric units.

One week prior to the alleged murder, she sent her brother a picture showing her working with Mr Vial and an older man.

He said that she described herself as "doing better" because she was off her medication, which Mr Burns described to the court as "worrying".

He said he had a further concern that she appeared to be drinking during the day.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott told the jury that the prosecution case will finish on Friday before the trial proceeds to the next phase.

Earlier on Thursday, a Garda (Irish police officer) told the court of interviews given by Mr Vial following his second arrest on suspicion of Mr Wilkin's murder in July 2023.

They told the court that Mr Vial denied murdering Mr Wilkin and also denied being jealous or resentful of him.

He said that when he left Mr Wilkin following a fight in the early hours of the morning at the top of Slieve League cliffs, the pensioner was "alive and breathing".

He further denied stealing money from the deceased and said he did not know what happened to a €1,000 cash payment that Mr Wilkin had received earlier that day for a job he had done.

The trial continues before Mr Justice McDermott and a jury of seven women and five men.