Jonathan Dowdall told gardaí in 2016 that Gerry Hutch ‘never’ spoke to him about Regency

The State's key witness today told the Special Criminal Court that he lied when being interrogated by gardaí in 2016 "out of necessity" because of fears his family would be killed.

The ex-politician also said he didn't think that Mr Hutch would come to him until things went "horribly wrong" for him when he "planned to kill Daniel Kinahan".

He has given evidence that Gerard Hutch confessed to him about his role in the murder of Kinahan associate David Byrne.

Mr Dowdall has also said that he handed the accused a key card for a room used by the gunman Kevin Murray before the attack on February 5, 2016.

Gerard Hutch, of the Paddocks in Clontarf, denies this and has pleaded not guilty to murder.

Dowdall is currently serving a four-year sentence for facilitating the gang involved having previously been charged with murder.

Today defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC continued his cross-examination of the witness by playing excerpts of his garda interviews when arrested in May 2016.

Gardaí asked him if Gerard Hutch had ever spoken to him about the murder, with Jonathan Dowdall responding "never".

He also told gardaí that he has "respect" for Mr Hutch, that he is a "very quiet" and "distant" man, and added: "I don't think Gerard is a bad man.”

Later on in the interview Jonathan Dowdall repeated that Gerard Hutch never said anything to him about being involved in the Regency.

He added: " And if he was involved in it, I don't think the man is that stupid to tell me."

In court Mr Dowdall said he "couldn't" tell gardaí at the time what he knew and agreed that he lied but "out of necessity".

He said "Me family (sic) would have been killed if I said who was involved in the Regency."

Mr Dowdall also told the three judges he wouldn't have expected Gerard Hutch to come to him but that things "went horribly wrong" for the accused.

"He planned to go kill Daniel Kinahan and blame the IRA," Mr Dowdall said.

"He missed Daniel Kinahan, he killed another person, another person was shot.

"A photograph is taken and linked all them to the Regency. So there was people calling to homes. That's probably why he called me".

Earlier the witness said he was "reckless" for booking a hotel room was used by one of the gunman but added that he didn't know what the room was being used for.

The court was told that the facilitation charge he pleaded guilty to also included having knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation.

"I didn't know originally that it was this big Hutch criminal organisation, but I did know after," Mr Dowdall said.

He testified that he was aware at the time that Gary and Patrick Hutch were involved in crime but didn't believe their father Patsy was when he booked the room.

He had known the family since he was aged 15.

He will continue giving evidence tomorrow before Ms Justice Tara Burns, Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone.

The non-jury trial is being heard amid heightened security at the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Two other men are also on trial with Mr Hutch. Jason Bonney (51) of Drumnigh Wood, Portmarnock and Paul Murphy (61) of Cherry Avenue, Swords, deny providing cars for the attack team. Mr Dowdall’s evidence does not relate to them.