Ex-Sinn Féin councillor says he has never been involved in crime

A former Sinn Féin councillor who advised deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald before leaving the party last year amid claims he was being bullied has confirmed armed gardaí searched his home.

However Jonathan Dowdall (38) has insisted he is not involved in crime, saying if he was it would have emerged before now.

Mr Dowdall was elected to Dublin City Council as a member of Sinn Féin in 2014 and represented the north inner city, although he left the party the following year.

He believes his house was searched on Thursday because of his association with members of the Hutch family from Dublin's north inner city, a small number of whom are known criminals. He said when gardaí called to his home on Navan Road, north Dublin, he opened the door as they were were preparing to break it in.

"I wasn't cautioned or arrested. I've no idea what it was in relation to," he told broadcaster Joe Duffy on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline programme.

He said his BMW car and a motorbike, along with documents and other items, were taken from him after gardaí, some of them armed, searched his home.

He now fears the electrical contractor business he runs will suffer as a result of media reports that his house was searched by gardaí and that people who work for him would lose their jobs as a result.

He said he had taken out a loan to buy the car that was taken from him and that he was still paying back the debt.

He added he had all of the paperwork proving the vehicle was his and was legitimate and that all of his tax affairs were also in order.

Originally from the north inner city, the married father of four said he knew some members of the Hutch family, though not others, adding those he knew were not involved in crime.

“Just because someone has the name Hutch doesn’t mean anything,” he said.

"Patrick Hutch is the father and has been a good friend of mine since I was a child. It has been in the media that this man has no involvement in crime."

The search of his home was “probably linked” to his relationship with the family.

Ms McDonald said she knew nothing about the Garda search, adding Mr Dowdall had left Sinn Féin and had since publicly endorsed other politicians.