Conor McGregor to appeal after woman who said he raped her wins civil claim

Irish mixed martial arts combatant Conor McGregor has said helium intends to appeal, aft a pistillate who said helium raped her won a civilian assertion for damages.

Nikita Hand, who accused the sportsman of raping her successful a Dublin edifice successful December 2018, won her assertion against him for damages successful a civilian lawsuit astatine the High Court successful the Irish capital.

The assemblage delivered its verdict connected Friday.

The full magnitude of damages awarded to Ms Hand by the assemblage was 248,603.60 euro (£206,714.31).

Mr McGregor made nary remark arsenic helium near court, but aboriginal successful a station connected X, formerly Twitter, said helium intends to appeal.

“I volition beryllium appealing today’s decision,” helium said.

He added: “I americium with my household now, focused connected my future. Thank you to each my enactment worldwide.”

Speaking extracurricular tribunal earlier, Ms Hand said she hoped her lawsuit would punctual victims of battle to support “pushing guardant for justice”.

“I anticipation my communicative is simply a reminder that nary substance however acrophobic you mightiness be, talk up, you person a dependable and support connected warring for justice,” she said.

“I cognize this has impacted not lone my life, my daughter’s, my household and friends tremendously.

“It’s thing that I’ll ne'er hide for the remainder of my life.

“Now that justness has been served, I tin present effort and determination connected and look guardant to the aboriginal with my household and friends and daughter.”

Asked if she felt vindicated aft the jury’s decision, she said: “Yes, I do. Thank you.”

Mr McGregor had faced an accusation that helium “brutally raped and battered” Nikita Hand astatine a edifice successful southbound Dublin successful December 2018.

The Irish sports 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, mislaid her lawsuit against different man, James Lawrence, whom she accused of assaulting her by allegedly having enactment without her consent astatine the aforesaid hotel.

After 8 days of grounds and 3 days listening to closing speeches and the judge’s charge, the assemblage of 8 women and 4 men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating earlier returning their verdict.

The lone happening I could determination was my head. I spot him but I can’t retrieve where. He didn’t similar it, truthful helium flipped maine astir and enactment his limb astir my cervix and choked me

Nikita Hand

Mr McGregor shook his caput aft the assemblage work retired that Ms Hand had won her lawsuit against him.

Mr McGregor was accompanied by his family, including his spouse Dee Devlin, parents, sister and brother-in-law.

He sat successful the backmost enactment of the tribunal betwixt his spouse and his mother, Margaret.

Ms Hand, 35, cried and was hugged by her spouse and supporters.

A fig of constabulary were successful the courtroom arsenic the verdict was delivered.

Ms Hand thanked her spouse and household for their support.

She said: “I privation to convey my spouse Gary, who has been truthful supportive for the past 4 years and has held my manus passim this proceedings each time and each different day.

“I privation to convey my mam and each my household and friends.

“Lastly, I privation to convey my girl Freya, who I’m astir grateful for.

“She has fixed maine truthful overmuch spot and courageousness implicit the past six years passim this nightmare to support connected pushing guardant for justice.

“I privation to amusement Freya and each different miss and lad that you tin basal up for yourself if thing happens to you, nary substance who the idiosyncratic is, and justness volition beryllium served.”

Ms Hand said the weeks of her civilian lawsuit against Mr McGregor person been a “nightmare”.

“I would similar to commencement disconnected by saying I’m overwhelmed and touched by the enactment I person received from everybody.”

She thanked her ineligible team, the justice and jury, gardai and paramedics, arsenic good arsenic doctors and nurses who provided her attraction and the Rape Crisis Centre.

Speaking to reporters extracurricular the court, an affectional Ms Hand added: “I privation to convey each the women and men retired determination who person supported maine passim this trial.

“For each idiosyncratic who reached retired to me, a card, a letter, an email, everything, it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Thank you, I truly admit it truthful much.”

Earlier, arsenic the justice returned to the courtroom, Mr McGregor could beryllium heard breathing loudly and heavily.

Justice Alexander Owens warned those successful the tribunal to stay calm earlier the assemblage were called back.

“I recognize the assemblage has a verdict,” Justice Owens said.

“I privation everyone to stay calm. I privation nary scenes. Anyone who makes a country volition find themselves successful jail.”

The case, which opened connected November 5, had antecedently heard that connected the time of the attack, Ms Hand and her enactment colleague, Danielle Kealy, went to the penthouse suite with Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence aft their enactment Christmas party.

They had fixed grounds that they had been partying each nighttime from December 8 and into the greeting of December 9, and had been heavy drinking and taking cocaine.

Ms Hand, a mother-of-one, told the tribunal however Mr McGregor had pinned her to the furniture successful the edifice chamber earlier assaulting her.

During her grounds to the court, Ms Hand said she thought she would ne'er spot her young girl again erstwhile the MMA prima was “choking” her.

The tribunal heard that arsenic she was being attacked, she “froze and couldn’t determination oregon breathe”.

She said she had held up some hands and had tried to get distant from him, but said the much she struggled, the much helium appeared to similar it.

“The lone happening I could determination was my head. I spot him but I can’t retrieve where. He didn’t similar it, truthful helium flipped maine astir and enactment his limb astir my cervix and choked me,” she said.

Ms Hand was near with extended bruises and abrasions implicit her body, including purple and bluish bruising on her hands and wrists, a bloodied scratch connected her bosom and tenderness connected her neck, aft she said she was placed successful a “chokehold” by Mr McGregor.

Mr McGregor denied helium caused the bruising crossed her body, saying they could person been caused erstwhile she “swan dived” into the bath successful the edifice room.

The tribunal heard Ms Hand suffered superior carnal and intelligence injuries arsenic a effect of the onslaught by Mr McGregor and that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic accent upset (PTSD).

Ms Hand was taken successful an ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital the pursuing time wherever she was assessed successful the intersexual battle attraction portion (SATU).

A paramedic who examined Ms Hand the time aft the battle had told the tribunal she had not seen “someone truthful bruised” successful a agelong time.

Ms Hand had besides been disquieted astir a tampon she had been wearing connected the nighttime she was assaulted.

Dr Daniel Kane, a gynaecologist arsenic good arsenic a forensic examiner successful intersexual battle cases, explained however helium had to usage forceps to region the tampon which had been “wedged inside”.

Ms Hand broke down respective times arsenic she gave grounds for astir 3 days and sought a fig of breaks.

The assemblage had been told Ms Hand had to permission her occupation arsenic a hairdresser and has not been capable to enactment since, due to the fact that of her intelligence health, that her narration with her spouse ended months aft the incident, she had to determination retired of her location successful Drimnagh, and her owe is present successful arrears.

She besides said she had to halt seeing a counsellor due to the fact that she could nary longer spend to wage for the sessions.

The tribunal besides heard that she has spent much than 4,000 euro (£3,326.54) connected GP, pharmacy and psychotherapist costs.