McGregor Charged For Sexual Assault And Expected To Pay A £206,000 Fine

A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has prevailed in her civil lawsuit, with the jury determining that McGregor attacked Nikita Hand at a hotel in Dublin in December 2018. As a result, McGregor has been instructed to pay Hand over €248,000 (£206,000) in compensation.

Outside the courtroom on Friday, Hand shared that her experience serves as "a reminder that regardless of how scared you might feel to speak out, you do have a voice." McGregor later posted on social media, stating that he intended to challenge the ruling and thanked his global supporters, adding that he was now focusing on his future with his family.

The jury at the High Court in Dublin deliberated for a day before concluding that McGregor had assaulted Hand. Hand had also filed charges against another man, James Lawrence, accusing him of sexual assault at the Beacon Hotel. However, the jury found Lawrence not guilty.

Hand expressed feeling "overwhelmed and touched" by the support she received, and stated: "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, regardless of who the perpetrator is, and that justice will prevail."

Both McGregor and Lawrence denied the allegations, asserting that their sexual encounters with Hand at the hotel were consensual. After eight days of testimonies and three days of final arguments, the jury—composed of eight women and four men—deliberated for six hours before delivering their verdict.

McGregor appeared stunned when the jury announced that Hand had won her case against him. He was seated in the back row of the courtroom alongside his partner Dee Devlin, his parents, his sister, and his brother-in-law.

Hand, in tears, was embraced by her partner and supporters.

The court heard that after a work Christmas party, Hand and her colleague Danielle Kealy went with McGregor and Lawrence to their penthouse suite at the hotel. Both women testified that they had been drinking heavily and using cocaine through the night into the early hours of the following morning.

Hand recounted how McGregor pinned her to a bed and assaulted her, causing significant bruising and abrasions on her wrists, hands, and neck. She also suffered a bloodied scratch on her chest. McGregor denied causing these injuries, suggesting they may have occurred when she "swan dived" into the bath in the hotel room.

The following day, Hand was taken to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, where she was assessed in the sexual assault treatment unit. A paramedic who examined her testified that it had been a long time since they had seen someone with such extensive bruising.

The court also heard that Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser due to the psychological impact of the assault. Her relationship ended months after the incident, and she had to relocate from her home in Drimnagh. She also fell behind on her mortgage payments and could no longer afford therapy sessions. In total, she had spent more than €4,000 (£3,326) on medical and mental health care.