Clayton 'believed former PA was being supervised by accountant'

U2's Adam Clayton has told the trial of his former PA Carol Hawkins that he trusted her but always believed she was being monitored by his accountant.

Hawkins, aged 47 and of Lower Rathmines Road in Dublin, denies using 181 cheques to steal €2.8m from the musician's bank accounts between 2004 and 2008.

When taking the stand the judge asked Mr Clayton to speak into the microphone telling him "I'm sure you're used to that".

The U2 bassist replied 'I'm more of a dum dum dum than hello'

In his evidence he described offering Hawkins and her husband a job at his Dublin home after meeting them on holiday in 1992 on a Caribbean island where they were running a small hotel.

He wanted someone who could take care of his house as in the past he had come home from tour to find the electricity cut off.

He agreed that as the years went by Hawkins took on duties beyond those of a housekeeper, including becoming a signatory on two of his bank accounts to cover household expenses.

He said he believed at all times she was being monitored by his accountant, Gaby Smyth.

In 2008 he said Hawkins confessed to having used his account to book flights to visit her children and told him she was suicidal and had taken an overdose alluding to the break-up of her marriage.

He said he was taken aback as to his mind this was completely out of character as she had his absolute trust.

He treated it as an aberration and kept her on but she was let go the following year.

The musician also described his amazement when in 2010 gardaí showed him details of 181cheques written by Hawkins and drawn from his account.

He said they were for large amounts, which even he would think twice about signing, and revealed a whole new side of his former PA.