Trial told bloodstained rock contained dead man's DNA

The trial of a man and woman accused of the murder of County Tyrone man Robert Wilkin has heard how a bloodstained rock containing his DNA was found at the top of the Slieve League cliffs in County Donegal.

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

The body of Mr Wilkin, who was also known as Robin, was found in the sea at the foot of the cliffs.

On Tuesday, at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, the jury heard how the 3.5kg rock also contained hundreds of hairs matching those of Mr Wilken.

Det Jeanette O'Neill, a ballistics expert with the Garda (Irish police) Technical Bureau, told the prosecution that she had found the rock near a tourist viewing point on the cliffs.

Nearby were other items including a man's reading glasses, a silver chain with a broken clasp and a five cent coin.

A frame from the rear view mirror of a car, which appeared to have a blood swipe on it, was found further down the cliff, Det O'Neill told the court.

Searchers also recovered a heavily bloodstained blanket and a man's Ravel wristwatch.

The court heard Det O'Neill found blood spatter on the roof, on the rear passenger window and the rear window of a Volkswagen Passat, in which the prosecution alleges the assault on Mr Wilkin took place.

From the pattern of the blood spatter, she concluded that the assailant may have sat in the front passenger seat when the assault took place.

However, the Garda detective agreed with a lawyer representing Ms Burns, that if Mr Wilkin's head had been in the area of the car's centre console, it would be reasonably possible that a rock brought down from the driver's side would have caused the spatter observed on the roof and window.

Det O'Neill told a lawyer for Mr Vial that she is aware a pathologist has concluded that the bloodstained rock was "entirely consistent" with having caused two fractures found to the back of Mr Wilkin's skull.

She told the court that she agreed that had a person in the driver's seat been fighting with the deceased in the back seat, it would have been possible for someone else to come in from behind with the rock and hit the deceased in the back of the head, causing the spatter patterns observed.

The court also heard evidence from Dr Conor Young of Forensic Science Ireland on Tuesday.

He said the blood staining on the rock could be explained by direct contact between the rock and Mr Wilkin or by contact with a surface that was heavily stained with his blood.

Dr Young said that he analysed the blood found on the rock, the roof of the Passat, and part of the back car seat.

In each case the DNA matched that of Robert Wilkin.

The blood on the roof, he said, indicated that force was applied to the blood of Mr Wilkin in this area.

The saturation staining on the car seat, he added, indicated that Mr Wilkin bled heavily in this location.

The irregular shaped rock measured about 20cm by 20cm with a depth of some 9cm, the court was told.

Dr Young said it was heavily bloodstained with "transfer stains" indicating contact with a blood-bearing surface. It also had a number of hairs attached to it, he said.

The hairs and bloodstains generated DNA profiles matching that of Mr Wilkin.

Dr Young also examined a pair of blue leggings that the prosecution alleges Ms Burns was wearing when Mr Wilkin was assaulted.

Dr Young found DNA matching that of Mr Wilkin from a bloodstain on the lower part of the right leg.

The sole of one of a pair of Timberland boots, that the prosecution alleges belong to Mr Vial, had bloodstains which generated DNA profiles matching that of Mr Wilkin.

Samples taken from inside and outside a vacuum cleaner that the prosecution alleges was used to clean the Volkswagen, tested positive for blood.

However, Dr Young said the samples provided insufficient DNA to generate a profile.

The trial continues.