A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has won her civil lawsuit for damages, with a jury ruling that the Irish fighter assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. As a result, McGregor has been ordered to pay her over €248,000 in compensation.
Speaking outside the court, Ms. Hand shared a powerful message, saying her story serves as “a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be to speak up, you have a voice.”
In response, McGregor posted on X that he plans to appeal the decision, thanking his global supporters. “I am with my family now, focused on my future,” he added.
The jury at the High Court in Dublin deliberated for a full day before concluding that McGregor did indeed assault Ms. Hand. She had also accused James Lawrence, 35, of Drimnagh, Dublin, of a separate assault in the Beacon Hotel. However, the jury cleared Lawrence of any wrongdoing.
Ms. Hand, visibly emotional, expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support she had received. “I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other young girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be served,” she said.
Both McGregor and Lawrence denied the allegations, claiming that any sexual encounters with Ms. Hand at the hotel were consensual.
The trial lasted eight days, with three days dedicated to closing statements and the judge’s instructions. After deliberating for six hours, the jury of eight women and four men returned their verdict. McGregor, who sat in the back row of the court with his partner and family, shook his head when the verdict was announced. Ms. Hand, on the other hand, broke down in tears and was comforted by her supporters.
The jury heard that on the day of the alleged attack, Ms. Hand and her colleague Danielle Kealy visited the penthouse suite at the hotel with McGregor and Lawrence after their work Christmas party. They testified that they had been drinking heavily and using cocaine throughout the night, well into the morning of December 9.
Ms. Hand recounted how McGregor pinned her to the bed before assaulting her. She suffered extensive bruising, including on her hands and wrists, and had a bloodied scratch on her breast. She also described pain and tenderness around her neck, alleging McGregor had placed her in a “chokehold.”
McGregor denied the accusations, suggesting that the bruises might have been caused by her “swan diving” into the bath.
The day after the assault, Ms. Hand was taken to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, where she was evaluated in the sexual assault treatment unit. A paramedic who examined her testified that she had rarely seen someone with such extensive bruising.
The court also learned that Ms. Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser due to the emotional toll of the assault. Her relationship with her partner ended months later, and she was forced to leave her home in Drimnagh. Her mortgage fell into arrears, and she was unable to afford counseling, having already spent over €4,000 on medical and psychological treatment.
Predictably, mouthpieces of Official Ireland are jumping on today’s finding against Conor McGregor @TheNotoriousMMA to brand him as a rapist.
My personal opinion is there is very little that makes sense about this case, and I was shocked at the guilty verdict. Before you make… pic.twitter.com/OVcRO66DQt
— Keith Woods (@KeithWoodsYT) November 23, 2024
