A paramedic who examined a woman alleging she was raped by MMA fighter Conor McGregor in a Dublin hotel told a court she had not seen such extensive bruising on a patient in a long time.
Eithne Scully testified during the second week of a civil case brought by Nikita Hand against Mr. McGregor and another man, James Lawrence. Both Mr. McGregor and Mr. Lawrence, of Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, deny the claims.
In civil actions in the Republic of Ireland, unlike criminal cases, neither the complainant nor the accused automatically receives anonymity during proceedings.
Ms. Scully described Ms. Hand as withdrawn, upset, and agitated when she first saw her in a bedroom in Drimnagh on December 10, 2018. Ms. Hand had a cut on her chin and bruising on her lower neck, chest, thighs, buttocks, legs, and lower leg. Ms. Scully stated that in her experience, the intensity of the bruising was unusually severe.
MMA star Conor McGregor choked and raped woman in Irish hotel, alleged victim testifies: ‘Kept thinking I would die’
If he were an immigrant Dublin would be burning, he is an “Irish Patriot”. pic.twitter.com/hzus2yP3vy
— Irlandarra (@aldamu_jo) November 13, 2024
Ms. Hand’s primary concern was a tampon pushed too far inside her. In the ambulance, Ms. Scully requested to remove Ms. Hand’s pyjama bottoms to assess the extent of her injuries. Ms. Hand reportedly mentioned being grabbed around the neck, attempting to fight someone off, and a threat made against her, but she did not name her attacker.
Another paramedic, Neil Dempsey, testified that he found Ms. Hand in a distressed state in an upstairs bedroom on the same day. He noted visible marks on her neck and breast. Ms. Hand told the paramedics she had been sexually assaulted, leading them to transfer her to a sexual assault treatment unit.
The jury was shown ambulance footage of Ms. Scully examining bruising on Ms. Hand’s thighs and knee. The footage also captured Ms. Hand moving off the trolley, sitting up, and becoming increasingly distressed, having a panic attack, and vomiting at one point during the journey.
Mr. Dempsey confirmed under cross-examination by defense counsel Remy Farrell that Ms. Hand told him she could hardly remember what had happened but said she was raped. He also agreed that Ms. Hand asked her mother at the hospital, “Mam, please don’t say anything,” on several occasions.
GP Emma Quinn, who saw Ms. Hand on December 19, 2018, testified that Ms. Hand complained of neck pain and a lump, consistent with internal bruising and her account of being restrained around the neck.
Psychiatrist Ann Leader stated that she diagnosed Ms. Hand with PTSD in December 2020 after a detailed discussion. She described Ms. Hand as anxious, tearful, and traumatized. Ms. Hand said she felt detached, gave up resisting during the assault, and likened herself to “a lump of meat.”
On Tuesday, Judge Alex Owens informed the jury that a breach of data protection and contempt of court was under investigation after a photo or screenshot of a remote hearing feed, intended for legal practitioners, was taken. A journalist reported the matter to the court service.
