The Daily Star Ireland
A judge has confirmed that Conor McGregor has complied with the court’s earlier orders regarding the sharing and handling of CCTV footage connected to the civil case brought against him by Nikita Hand.
In January, Mr Justice Alex Owens directed McGregor not to distribute the footage and to either return or destroy any copies in his possession. The judge stated at the time that the jury in the civil trial had definitively concluded that McGregor raped Ms Hand at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin in December 2018. He stressed that McGregor was not entitled to selectively release parts of the evidence in public to serve his own narrative.
The CCTV footage captured McGregor, Nikita Hand, James Lawrence, and Danielle Kealy in both the car park and the lift of the Beacon Hotel, showing events before and after McGregor assaulted Ms Hand. The video was shown multiple times during the civil trial and was reviewed again by the jury while they deliberated.
McGregor had previously attempted to use the footage to argue that Ms Hand did not appear to be someone who had experienced a serious assault. During the trial, however, Ms Hand became visibly distressed when the footage was played and pointed out that her intoxication was evident in the clips.
In February, McGregor formally filed an appeal against the High Court’s civil judgment, which found him liable for raping Ms Hand.
At a follow-up hearing, Ms Hand’s legal team requested that the court issue an injunction to further prohibit McGregor from publishing or sharing any of the CCTV footage. Senior counsel for Ms Hand, John Gordon, argued that McGregor’s affidavits to the court lacked sufficient clarity. He also noted that McGregor had not directly addressed whether he had caused anyone else to receive or access the footage.
Gordon specifically highlighted a report published in a Sunday newspaper, which referenced claims made by Gabriel Ernesto Rapisarda, an Italian business associate of McGregor. According to Rapisarda, the planned release of the footage was expected to boost sales of McGregor’s stout brand following the civil trial’s conclusion.
Despite these concerns, the judge said he was bound to rely on the sworn affidavits submitted by McGregor and his legal team. Based on those documents, McGregor was found to have taken the required steps to comply with the court’s initial orders. The judge also remarked that the urgency surrounding the matter, which existed in January, had now largely subsided.
Justice Owens further commented that McGregor had brought these difficulties upon himself through his own conduct, particularly by sharing social media posts about the case. However, based on the affidavits, the court was satisfied that McGregor had complied with the directions given to him.
McGregor’s legal counsel, Senior Counsel Remy Farrell, agreed with the court’s assessment, confirming that his client had fulfilled all obligations set out by the court.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge ruled that McGregor would be responsible for covering the legal costs associated with this latest application.
