A former Lord Mayor of Cork has gone on trial charged with six counts of sexually assaulting a teenager in the city over a decade ago.

John Murray pleaded not guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to six counts of sexually assaulting the girl at four locations over a two year period in the late 1990s.

Mr. Murray is a long-standing member of the Labour Party in Cork and was first elected to Cork City Council in 1985.

It is the State's case that he sexually assaulted the girl at a house, a pub, in a car on a city street and in a hotel car park on various dates between March 1996 and October 1998.

The case is expected to hear evidence from around 20 witnesses including several gardai. It is expected to last three days.