Mary Lou McDonald denies claims heard in Gerard Hutch murder trial

Mary Lou McDonald was speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald has denied claims heard during a murder trial in the Republic of Ireland.

Gerard Hutch, 59, from the Paddocks in Clontarf, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Byrne in the city during a 2016 boxing weigh-in.

A Dublin court has heard an allegation that the party used the accused "for votes and for money".

"That is absolutely not true," Mrs McDonald told Sunday Politics.

"Let me further say that that case is ongoing in Dublin," she said.

"This case is as a result of incredible, sterling work by the gardai (Irish police) over many years and I'm certainly not going to say anything... that would in any way jeopardise or undermine or influence the outcome of that important trial."

Her comments come as the Special Criminal Court in the Irish capital is to rule on the admissibility of secretly-recorded conversations between Mr Hutch and former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall.

Gerard Hutch, 59, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of David Byrne

The court has heard 10 hours of tapes.

In the recordings, Dowdall and Mr Hutch talked about Sinn Féin and Mrs McDonald.

Dowdall said the party would be stupid not to go into coalition government, with Mr Hutch saying it should do what is in the best interests of the country and not the party.

Dowdall then criticised Mrs McDonald for not attending the funeral of Mr Hutch's brother, Edward, who was killed days after the shooting of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel.

Dowdall said she should have attended the funeral and that she stayed away from it on purpose.

"She didn't attend the innocent man's funeral. She was on the telly the night Neddy got shot and she branded everyone as scumbags, she said they're all scumbags," he said.

"She shoulda turned around and said, I know that deceased man and I know that family. It'd be different Gerard if she was a politician and it was not her area. You's are in her area and she shoulda said that," he said.

"But ya's were good enough to use Gerard for votes, ya's were good enough to use for money."

Mr Hutch replied there wasn't "one of them at" the funeral.

Jonathan Dowdall is a former Sinn Féin councillor

Mr Hutch's lawyer has objected to use of the tapes because eight of the 10 hours were recorded in Northern Ireland when police bugged Dowdall's vehicle.

Mr Hutch and Dowdall were driving to Strabane in County Tyrone when the recordings were made.

Dowdall, 44, of Navan Road, Dublin, was due to stand trial for Mr Byrne's murder alongside Mr Hutch.

However, he pleaded guilty in advance of the trial to a lesser charge of facilitating the Hutch gang by making a hotel room available ahead of the murder. He was jailed for four years.

He is currently being assessed for the Witness Protection Program after agreeing to testify against Mr Hutch.

The trial continues.

Sunday Politics can be seen again on BBC Two Northern Ireland tonight at 23:45 GMT and on the BBC iPlayer.