MAN 'THROWN OFF CLIFF' FACED TRIAL OVER DRUGS HAUL

 » First photo of Robin, thought to be victim  » Suspect is believed to be ‘couch-surfing’

- JOHN HAND

THIS is the first picture of the man who it is suspected was thrown off a cliff just months before he was due to stand trial on drug smuggling charges.

The body recovered from the water beside Donegal's Slieve League on Monday is thought to be Robin Wilkin.

He also went by the name Robert, was in his late 60s and worked as a lorry driver.

He was originally from Co Tyrone but had spent various stints in Donegal over the past 15 to 20 years, employed with various haulage companies around Killybegs.

Over the years he resided in the town and two nearby villages, Mountcharles and Dunkineely.

One of his former employers told the Irish Mirror that he never had any issues with Wilkin and that he had a great work ethic.

He said: "I won't have a bad word said about that man. He was sound and a brilliant worker. He'd be in the yard at 6.45am in the morning with the lorry loaded and gone by 7am.

"The one thing I'd say about him is, he was easily led.

"But in my experience, that man wouldn't do you a bad turn. There's no way he deserved to die like that."

Wilkin had turned up in the area again in recent weeks but was due to stand trial in the UK in October over a multi-million euro seizure.