Jonathan Dowdall has told the Regency Hotel murder trial that he believes there was an attempt to set him up by linking him to one of the gunmen who stayed at the hotel.

The former Sinn Féin councillor is serving a 4-year prison sentence for facilitating the murder of David Byrne by making a room at the hotel available to those responsible.

He told the trial earlier this week that Gerry Hutch collected the key card from him and his father the night before the attack - but he claims the original plan was to give it to one of the known gunmen.

Under cross-examination today, he insisted he didn't know who was going to stay in the room and believed the original plan was suggested in order to tie him and his family to what happened.

Mr Hutch denies murdering David Byrne.

Main image: Special Criminal Court. Picture by: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie