Woman wins civil rape case against Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is among the top sports figures from Ireland and has become a well-known name worldwide.
A woman who alleged that Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her has successfully won her civil lawsuit for damages against him.
A jury determined that the Irish mixed martial arts athlete sexually assaulted Nikita Hand at a hotel in Dublin in December 2018.
He has been instructed to compensate her with over €248,000 (£206,000) in damages.
During a press conference after the court proceedings on Friday, Ms. Hand emphasized that her experience serves as a reminder that everyone has a voice, even when they feel scared to express themselves.
In a post on X on Friday night, McGregor announced that he plans to challenge the decision and expressed his gratitude to "everyone who has stood by me around the globe."
"I am currently spending time with my family and concentrating on what lies ahead," he shared.
Nikita Hand expressed that she felt "overwhelmed" by the support she received after deciding to pursue legal action against McGregor.
The jury at the High Court in Dublin spent a day considering the evidence before ultimately reaching a decision that McGregor did indeed rape Ms. Hand.
She had also filed a case against a 35-year-old man named James Lawrence, who lives on Rafter's Road in Drimnagh, Dublin.
She claimed that he sexually assaulted her by engaging in sexual activity with her at the Beacon Hotel without her consent.
The jury concluded that he did not attack her.
"Justice Will Prevail"
Ms. Hand expressed to reporters that she felt "overcome and moved" by the encouragement she had received.
She stated, "I want to demonstrate to my daughter Freya and all other young girls and boys that they can defend themselves in any situation, regardless of who is involved, and that justice will prevail."
Both men rejected the accusations made by the 35-year-old hair colorist, stating that they each had consensual sexual encounters with Ms. Hand at the hotel nearly six years ago.
Following eight days of testimony and three days of final arguments along with the judge's remarks, the jury, consisting of eight women and four men, took six hours and ten minutes to reach a decision before announcing their verdict.
McGregor was visibly upset as he shook his head in response to the jury announcing that Ms. Hand had prevailed in her lawsuit against him.
He was joined by his partner, Dee Devlin, along with his parents, sister, and brother-in-law.
He took a seat in the last row of the courtroom, positioned between his mother, Margaret, and his partner.
Ms. Hand shed tears as her partner and supporters embraced her.
The jury determined that James Lawrence did not attack Nikita Hand.
The jury had already been told that on the day of the incident, Ms. Hand and her coworker, Danielle Kealy, went to the hotel’s penthouse suite with McGregor and Mr. Lawrence following their work Christmas celebration.
They provided proof that they had been celebrating all night from December 8th into the early hours of December 9th, consuming a lot of alcohol and using cocaine.
"Trapped In A Chokehold"
Ms. Hand, a mother of one, recounted in court how McGregor had pushed her down onto a bed and attacked her.
She ended up with multiple bruises and scrapes all over her body, including her hands and wrists.
She had a bloody scratch on her chest and her neck was sore after she claimed that McGregor had put her in a "chokehold."
He refuted any responsibility for the bruises, suggesting that they might have been the result of her "diving" into the bathtub in the hotel room.
The following day, Ms. Hand was transported by ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, where she received an evaluation at the sexual assault treatment unit.
A paramedic who checked on Ms. Hand testified in court that it had been a long time since they had seen someone with so many bruises.
The jury learned that Ms. Hand had to quit her job as a hairdresser and has been unable to work since because of her mental health struggles. They were informed that her relationship with her partner ended a few months after the incident, she had to relocate from her home in Drimnagh, and now she is behind on her mortgage payments.
She mentioned that she had to discontinue her sessions with a counselor since she could no longer afford them.
The court was informed that she had incurred expenses exceeding €4,000 (£3,326) for general practitioner visits, pharmacy purchases, and therapy sessions.
