Gerry Adams was “shocked” to hear of the killing of British informer Denis Donaldson, and considers him a “victim” of the conflict in Northern Ireland, the High Court has heard.

The former Sinn Féin president was giving evidence on the second day of the civil trial hearing into his defamation action against the BBC.

Mr Adams claims a BBC Spotlight programme and related article published in 2016 falsely accused him of sanctioning the 2006 killing of an MI5 agent Mr Donaldson.

The BBC denies it defamed Mr Adams.

On Wednesday, Mr Adams said he “liked” and “knew” Mr Donaldson, but “didn’t really have any dealings with him”.

Mr Donaldson worked for Sinn Féin in a number of roles, the court heard, including as an administrator at Stormont Assembly.

Mr Adams said that Mr Donaldson – along with others – was arrested and charged in 2002 over claims of a Sinn Féin “spy ring” operating in Stormont. The charges were “complete nonsense”, and the charges were dropped, Mr Adams said.

Mr Adams said that after the charges were dropped, Mr Donaldson was revealed to be an agent working for British security services.

Mr Adams said that the only people who could have revealed this were the people “using him”, his handlers. Mr Donaldson was “expendable” to his handlers, Mr Adams said.

Mr Adams said he asked Declan Kearney, a senior Sinn Féin official, to “ascertain the truth” of the allegations that Mr Donaldson was a spy.

At a meeting with party officials, Mr Donaldson acknowledged that he had been an agent for 20 years, Mr Adams said. He was dismissed from the party.

Mr Adams said he was “shocked” to hear of Mr Donaldson’s killing in April 2006.

He also said he was shocked that Mr Donaldson had not moved from the cottage in Glenties, Co Donegal where he was shot dead, where he was “vulnerable”.

Weeks before Mr Donaldson’s killing, the Sunday World newspaper published a photograph of Mr Donaldson at the house, Mr Adams noted.

He said that he made contact with Mr Donaldson’s family following the killing.

“Personally, I think Denis Donaldson was a victim of the conflict. I don’t see any other way of describing it,” Mr Adams said.

He said it was “deeply troubling” that Mr Donaldson’s family are still struggling to get to the truth of his killing.

Mr Adams said that he first met Mr Donaldson at Long Kesh prison, where the latter was a sentenced prisoner. He said that Mr Donaldson ended up doing “international work” for Sinn Féin, spent time in the United States, and worked as an administrator for the party at Stormont.

Mr Adams said that he “liked the guy”, and knew Mr Donaldson and his wife and daughter. Mr Adams said that he didn’t really have any dealings with Mr Donaldson, but that he had a good relationship with him.

Mr Adams said that he was working at a “different level” to Mr Donaldson in the party.

The BBC denies it defamed Mr Adams, and claims the Spotlight programme and publication were put out in good faith and during the course of discussion on a subject of public and vital interest. The BBC says the programme constituted responsible journalism that was the result of careful investigation.

The trial, before Mr Justice Alexander Owens, is expected to last four weeks.

In his opening address to the jury on Tuesday, Tom Hogan SC, for Mr Adams, said the BBC engaged in “reckless journalism” by publishing the allegations. He said that Mr Adams’ reputation was one of a “peacemaker”, and the publishing of the allegations was an “unjustified attack” on his reputation.

The published allegations relied on a single, anonymous source, Mr Hogan said.

Mr Adams has at all times denied any involvement in Mr Donaldson’s death, which dissident republicans claimed responsibility for in 2009. He claims all allegations connecting him or the IRA to the death are attempts to discredit republicans.