Woman wins civil rape case against Conor McGregor

A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has won her claim for damages in a civil lawsuit filed against him.

The jury found that the Irish mixed martial arts fighter raped Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

He was ordered to pay compensation of more than €248,000 (£206,000).

Speaking outside the court on Friday, Ms Hand said her story was “a reminder that no matter how afraid you are to speak, you have a voice”.

In a post on X on Friday evening, McGregor said he would appeal the decision and thanked “all my support around the world.”

“I’m with my family right now, focused on my future,” he added.

The jury at Dublin High Court deliberated for a day before returning its verdict that McGregor raped Ms Hand.

He had also brought proceedings against another man, James Lawrence (35), of Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh, Dublin.

She claimed he assaulted her by having sex with her without her consent at the Beacon Hotel.

The jury found that he did not attack her.

‘Justice will be served’

Ms Hand told reporters she was “very touched and moved” by the support she had received.

He added: “I want to show (my daughter) Freya and all other young girls and boys that if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, you can defend yourself and justice will be served.”

Both men denied the 35-year-old hair colorist’s claims and said they separately had consensual sex with Ms Hand at the hotel almost six years ago.

After eight days of evidence and three days of hearing closing arguments and the judge’s comments, the jury of eight women and four men deliberated for six hours and 10 minutes before returning the verdict.

McGregor nodded after the jury read that Ms. Hand had won her case against him.

He was accompanied by his partner Dee Devlin, his parents, sister and brother-in-law.

He was sitting in the back row of the court between his partner and his mother Margaret.

Ms Hand cried and was embraced by her partner and supporters.

The jury had previously heard that on the day of the attack, Ms Hand and colleague Danielle Kealy went to the hotel’s penthouse suite with McGregor and Mr Lawrence after a work Christmas party.

The applicants gave evidence that they had been partying all night from 8 December to the morning of 9 December and had been drinking and using cocaine excessively.

‘He was put in a suffocating situation’

Hand, a mother-of-one, told the court how McGregor pinned her to the bed before attacking her.

He had extensive bruises and abrasions on his body, including his hands and wrists.

He suffered a bloody scratch on his chest and tenderness on his neck after he said he was put to “choking point” by McGregor.

He denied causing the bruising and said it may have occurred after a “swan dive” into the bathroom in his hotel room.

Ms Hand was taken by ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin the next day, where she was assessed in the sexual assault treatment unit.

The paramedic who examined Ms Hand told the court he had not seen “someone this injured” in a long time.

The jury was told that Ms Hand had to quit her job as a hairdresser and was unable to work due to her mental health, and that her relationship with her partner ended months after the incident and that she had to leave her home. He was at home in Drimnagh and said his mortgage was now arrears.

She also said she had to stop seeing a counselor because she could no longer pay for the sessions.

The court heard he spent more than €4,000 (£3,326) on GP, ​​pharmacy and psychotherapy costs.