The Daily Star Ireland
Nikita Hand has won her case against MMA fighter Conor McGregor in the High Court. A jury found that McGregor raped Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018 and awarded her nearly €250,000 in damages. The jury, however, cleared McGregor’s friend, James Lawrence, of any wrongdoing, rejecting claims made by Hand’s lawyers that Lawrence falsely stated he had sex with her on the same day to damage her reputation.
Hand testified that McGregor assaulted her at the Beacon Hotel on December 9, 2018. She described how McGregor ignored her refusal, pinned her down, and choked her multiple times before raping her, causing significant bruising. Lawrence claimed that after McGregor left, he had consensual sex with Hand, a detail that Hand denied, saying she had no memory of the event. The next morning, Hand required medical intervention to remove a tampon at a hospital, and a doctor documented a range of injuries, categorizing them as moderate to severe.
Both McGregor and Lawrence denied the allegations, with McGregor stating that their encounter was consensual and describing it as vigorous. He also denied causing the bruising or any involvement with the tampon. Lawrence similarly claimed the encounter with Hand was consensual and denied any attempt to make Hand look bad.
The jury deliberated for over six hours before returning their verdict. Although they did not award aggravated damages against McGregor, they did grant Hand general and special damages amounting to almost €250,000.
Hand, visibly emotional, thanked her partner, family, and supporters, expressing gratitude for the overwhelming support she received throughout the trial. She also thanked her legal team, the judge, the jury, and the healthcare professionals involved in her treatment.
The case, which began in early November, detailed events following a Christmas party where Hand and her colleague, Danielle Kealy, joined McGregor and Lawrence in a hotel penthouse. Despite heavy drinking and cocaine use that night, Hand maintained that McGregor’s actions were violent and traumatizing, leading to significant physical and psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Hand’s physical injuries, including severe bruising and tenderness on her neck and wrists, were extensively documented, and the court heard from medical professionals about the trauma she endured. A paramedic described Hand as the most severely bruised person she had seen in years.
Since the assault, Hand has struggled financially and emotionally, having to leave her job, move out of her home, and face mounting medical expenses. She also reported the breakdown of her relationship and difficulty accessing ongoing therapy due to financial constraints.
