BBCA rock which was allegedly used to fracture a pensioner’s skull was transported to the scene of the attack, a geologist has told a murder trial.
Alan Vial, 39, of Drumanoo Head, Killybegs, County Donegal, and Nikita Burns, 23, from An Charraig, County Donegal, both deny the murder of Robert Wilkin on 25 June 2023.
The body of the County Tyrone man was found eight days later in the sea at the foot of the Slieve League cliffs.
Dr Sophie O’Connor, who is from Geological Survey Ireland, told Dublin’s Central Criminal Court on Friday that it is “highly unlikely” that a bloodied rock found by gardaí (Irish police) near the scene came from the Slieve League cliffs area.
The rock, which the court previously heard contained blood and hairs with DNA matching the deceased man Robert Wilkin, who was also known as Robin, was found by gardaí near a viewing point at the top of the cliffs.
The prosecution alleges that both Mr Vial and Ms Burns assaulted Mr Wilkin as part of a joint enterprise to cause him serious harm before putting his body over the cliff edge near a viewing point.
During police interviews, Mr Vial said he “winded” Mr Wilkin by striking him in the stomach and then placed the pensioner over a fence about four metres from the edge of the cliff.
When the rock was shown to the accused, he denied using it to strike Mr Wilkin, and said they had used it in an effort to prevent him from rolling off the cliff edge.
It is possible rock came from a wall
Dr O’Connor told prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC that police investigating Mr Wilkin’s death asked her to assess the likelihood that the rock could have naturally made its way to where officers found it at the top of Slieve League cliffs.
Having inspected rocks at the top of the cliffs, including those found in walls at the nearby car park, she concluded it was “highly unlikely” it was sourced from that area and “extremely likely” it was transported there by human activity.
Dr O’Connor said she inspected an area on Roshin Road, between Slieve League and Killybegs, near where the prosecution has previously said it is likely Mr Wilkin was alleged to have been attacked.
The geologist found a wall built using rocks that were similar in composition to the rock shown to her by gardai and with similar lichen staining.
She noted an area of the wall where a rock appeared to be missing and discovered on Google Street View that in 2021 the rock was present.
The rock visible online showed a “strong similarity” to the bloodied rock in shape, size, curvature, surface features and lichen staining, she said.
She concluded that it was possible the rock came from that wall.
Following Dr O’Connor’s evidence, Mr Justice Paul McDermott told the jury of seven women and five men that the prosecution has now concluded its evidence.
