Conor McGregor jury told to avoid "hot take" as verdict nears in sex assault trial

The assemblage successful a civilian lawsuit against Conor McGregor has been told to see the grounds alternatively than providing a “hot take” successful their verdict.

Mr McGregor is facing an accusation successful the civilian enactment that helium “brutally raped and battered” Nikita Hand astatine a edifice successful southbound Dublin successful December 2018.

The UFC prima antecedently told the tribunal helium had consensual enactment with Ms Hand successful a penthouse astatine the Beacon Hotel.

Ms Hand, who is besides known arsenic Nikita Ni Laimhin, is besides suing different man, James Lawrence, for intersexual assault.

The assemblage began proceeding closing arguments connected Tuesday morning.

Remy Farrell SC, defence barrister for Mr McGregor, said it whitethorn beryllium the lawsuit that immoderate members of the assemblage – if not each of them – had antagonistic views of his client. He said: “You whitethorn person an progressive dislike of him, immoderate of you whitethorn adjacent loathe him – determination is nary constituent pretending that the concern mightiness beryllium otherwise.”

However, helium said it was their occupation to see the grounds successful the case. Mr Farrell said: “This lawsuit is not astir immoderate benignant of blistery take, not astir your gut, not astir what colour writers successful newspapers mightiness accidental it is about.”

He said the lawsuit could not beryllium reduced to a soundbite and added: “This lawsuit is astir the grounds and thing but the evidence.”

He noted that the assemblage whitethorn not person appreciated manus gestures oregon comments made by Mr McGregor during grounds including referring to “two beauteous ladies”, but added: “I’m not asking you to invitation him to Sunday brunch.”

Mr Farrell said the assemblage were not considering the consequences of who they liked and disliked, nor who they would similar to spot triumph and not triumph the case.

He said the result would beryllium devastating for either Mr McGregor oregon Ms Hand. He said they were astir apt the hardest moving assemblage members presently sitting successful Ireland to person to enactment these considerations retired of their mind.

Mr Farrell told them they had to see connected equilibrium of probabilities whether the alleged battle is much apt to person happened than not. He said: “Many of you astir apt don’t similar Mr McGregor – that’s not terribly surprising. Should that matter?”

He added: “If this suspect was anyone different than Mr McGregor, would the doorway of the assemblage country deed you connected the backside earlier you were retired to disregard this case?”

Mr Farrell told the assemblage it was their occupation to enactment their mode methodically done the “islands of fact” which were uncontested pieces of evidence. He suggested to the assemblage that it could beryllium beneficial to transverse notation substance messages sent by Ms Hand and CCTV footage from the hotel.

He said the assemblage had the payment of being capable to look astatine CCTV footage of Ms Hand from the contiguous aftermath and hours aft the alleged rape. Mr Farrell said John Gordon SC, for Ms Hand, had told them astatine the commencement of the lawsuit that determination was a azygous contented of rape and a batch of sound surrounding that.

Mr McGregor’s ineligible typical added: “Having heard the evidence, bash you deliberation that’s right? Do you deliberation each the different worldly is conscionable noise?”

He told the assemblage that Ms Hand had fixed a “simply invented” relationship of the alleged rape successful her archetypal recollection of the incidental to her person Eimer Brennan aft the incident.

He said she told Ms Brennan determination were information guards contiguous astatine the edifice erstwhile she woke up and she feared she would beryllium “gang raped”.

He said it was besides important that she told Ms Brennan that determination was nary motion of different woman, Danielle Kealey, erstwhile she woke up and that she near immediately.

He asked the assemblage to opposition this with a aboriginal relationship wherever she wakes up and does not instantly retrieve anything: “How tin those 2 things beryllium true?”

Mr Farrell said: “She sought to airbrush Danielle Kealey retired of events."

He said Ms Kealey’s grounds did not enactment Ms Hand’s account. Mr Farrell said if Ms Hand was waking up reasoning she was astir to beryllium “gang raped”, she indispensable person said thing to Ms Kealey.

Commenting connected Ms Hand’s relationship to Ms Brennan, helium said: “This is each an elaborate fabrication.” 

Mr Farrell said that erstwhile cross-examined, Ms Hand said she indispensable person been confused. He added: “That’s 1 explanation, determination are different explanations.”

He said it was “odd” that immoderate things were coming backmost to her erstwhile she had fixed an relationship of things that did not happen. “Ask yourself this question: That archetypal account, was that conscionable confusion? Or was it conscionable fantasy?” helium said.

Mr Farrell besides said texts sent by Ms Hand to her fellow portion she was astatine the edifice showed that she was lying astir wherever she was. He asked the assemblage to see “the sheer fig of lies” successful the transcript of a signaling of a speech Ms Hand aboriginal had with her boyfriend.

He said it was not a transgression to prevarication but added: “What is overmuch much absorbing is wherefore idiosyncratic tells a lie.” He said she had texted “clear fabrications” and an “absolute untruth” astir her whereabouts to her boyfriend. “Why is she doing it?”, helium said.

Mr Farrell said the CCTV showed idiosyncratic “well able” to deflect and lie. He said it showed Ms Hand doing a “victory dance” aft sending a substance to her fellow wherever she did not accidental she was astatine the hotel.

Mr Farrell asked the assemblage to see the consistency of Ms Hand’s relationship and said she could beryllium seen to beryllium “happy, happy, blessed each the mode through” connected the CCTV footage. “Then bang, arsenic soon arsenic she knows she has to spell location and look the euphony – that’s erstwhile the allegations start,” helium added.

He said Ms Hand’s relationship is that she was brutally raped by Mr McGregor portion Ms Kealey, her friend, was nary much than a mates of feet distant successful an adjoining room, for which helium said grounds had been fixed that the doorway was not closed. He said: “Could this truly beryllium true?”

Mr Farrell said Ms Kealey gave grounds that Ms Hand was successful and retired of the chamber showing nary signs of distress.

He asked the assemblage however this could conceivably beryllium reconciled with Ms Hand’s relationship of events. He said that she had asked Ms Kealey to delete substance messages. “Is each of that noise, oregon is it grounds that helps you?” helium said.

Mr Farrell said Ms Hand “simply pretends she cannot remember” aspects of the day. He said determination was a “black hole” successful her relationship wherever she had enactment with Mr Lawrence.

Mr Farrell said Ms Hand had enactment guardant a “very cautiously put-together account”.

However, helium told the assemblage that she said she did not retrieve details that did not corroborate her story, oregon flatly contradicted it. He said: “Is it conscionable a coincidence?”

The assemblage returned to proceeding closing arguments from Mr Gordon connected behalf of Ms Hand connected Tuesday afternoon.