Woman wins rape case against Conor McGregor

A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has won her claim for damages in a civil case.

A judge found that the Irish mixed martial arts fighter assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

He was ordered to pay her more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages.

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

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

“The order of the judge and the modest award that was given was for assault, not for harm or for example,” he said.

“I have my family now, I'm focused on my future.”

A judge at the High Court in Dublin deliberated for a day before returning his verdict that McGregor assaulted Ms Hand.

He also turned on another man, James Lawrence, 35, of Rafter's Road, Drimnagh in Dublin.

She alleges that he abused her by sleeping with her without her consent at the Beacon Hotel.

The judge found that he did not hit her.

Ms Hand told the media that she was happy and touched by the support she had received.

He added: “I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other little girl and boy who can stand up for themselves when something happens to you, no matter who you are, and that justice will be done. “

Both men denied what the 35-year-old hairdresser said, saying they slept with Ms. Hand after their separation at the hotel about six years ago.

After eight days of testimony and three days of closing arguments and the judge's comments, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning its verdict.

McGregor shook his head after the judge read that Ms Hand had won her case.

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

He sat at the back of the court, between his partner and mother Margaret.

Mrs. Hand cried and hugged her partner and her fans.

Jurors had previously heard that on the day of the attack Ms Hand and her colleague Danielle Kealy went to the penthouse suite at the hotel with McGregor and Mr Lawrence after their work Christmas party.

They gave evidence of how they had been partying all night from the 8th of December until the 9th of December and they had been drinking a lot of alcohol and cocaine.

Ms Hand, a mother of one, told the court how McGregor put her on the bed before beating her.

He was left with numerous cuts and bruises on his body, hands and wrists.

There were bloody scratches on her chest and neck after she said she was “speared” by McGregor.

He denied that he was the one who caused the bruises, saying that it might have happened after the “kid” got soaked in the bathtub in the hotel room.

Ms Hand was taken by ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin the next day where she was assessed in the sex offenders unit.

The paramedic who examined Ms Hand told the court that it had been a long time since she had seen “a person so badly injured”.

The judge was told how Mrs Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser and was unable to work since due to her mental health, that her relationship with her partner ended months after the incident, and she had to leave him. at home in Drimnagh and that his mortgage was now in arrears.

He also said that he had to stop seeing a psychological counselor because he no longer had the money to pay for these sessions.

The court heard he spent more than €4,000 (£3,326) on doctor, pharmacy and psychiatric fees.