Nikita Hand wins civil suit against MMA fighter Conor McGregor

A woman who won a civil lawsuit against Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has said she hopes her case will remind assault victims to continue to “seek justice.”

Nikita Hand, who accused the athlete of raping her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, has won a damages claim against him in a High Court civil case.

The jury in the civil case against McGregor returned its verdict Friday afternoon.

The total damages awarded to Ms Hand by the jury were €248,603.60.

Speaking outside the court, Ms Hand said: “I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you are, speak up, you have a voice and continue to fight for justice.

“I know it has had a huge impact not only on my life, but on the lives of my daughter, my family and friends.

“This is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.

“Now that justice has been served, I can try to move on and look forward to a future with my family, friends and daughter.”

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

Mr McGregor was charged with “savagely raping and beating” Nikita Hand at a south Dublin hotel in December 2018.

The Irish sports star previously told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand in the Beacon Hotel penthouse.

Ms Hand, also known as Nikita Ní Laimhín, lost her case against another man, James Lawrence, whom she accused of assaulting her by allegedly having sex without her consent at the same hotel.

After eight days of gathering evidence and three days of hearing closing arguments and charges from the judge, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning with a verdict.

Mr McGregor shook his head after the jury read that Ms Hand had won her case against him.

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

He sat in the back row of the court between his partner and mother Margaret.

Hand, 35, cried as her partner and supporters hugged her.

Several police officers were present in the courtroom during the sentencing.

Ms Hand thanked her partner and family for their support.

She said: “I want to thank my partner Gary who has been so supportive of me over the last four years and held my hand throughout the process every day and every other day.

“I want to thank my mom, all my family and friends.

“Finally, I want to thank my daughter Freya, to whom I am very grateful.

“She has given me so much strength and courage over the past six years through this nightmare so that I can continue to seek justice.

“I want to show Freya and all the other girls and boys that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you – no matter who the person is – and justice will be done.”

Ms Hand said the weeks of her civil case against Mr McGregor had been a “nightmare”.

“I would like to start by saying that I am overwhelmed and touched by the support I have received from everyone.”

She thanked her legal team, judge and jury, police and paramedics, as well as the doctors and nurses who treated her and the Rape Crisis Centre.

Speaking to reporters outside the court in Dublin, an emotional Ms Hand added: “I want to thank all the women and men who have supported me throughout this process.

“For every person who has reached out to me – card, letter, email, everything else – it has not gone unnoticed. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

Earlier, when the judge returned to the courtroom, McGregor could be heard breathing loudly and heavily.

Judge Alexander Owens warned those in court to remain calm before the jury was recalled.

“I understand the jury has a verdict,” Judge Owens said.

“I want everyone to remain calm. I don’t want any scenes. Anyone who causes a scene will end up in jail.”

The case, opened on November 5, previously reported that on the day of the attack, Ms Hand and her work colleague Daniel Kiely had gone to the penthouse with Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence after their work Christmas party.

They testified that they partied all night from December 8 until the morning of December 9, and also drank heavily and took cocaine.

Ms Hand, a mother of one, told the court how Mr McGregor pinned her to a bed in a hotel bedroom before attacking her.

While giving evidence in court, Ms Hand said she thought she would never see her baby daughter again as the MMA star “choked” her.

The court heard that during the attack she was “frozen and unable to move or breathe”.

She said she held both hands and tried to get away from him, but the more she struggled, the more he liked it.

“The only thing I could move was my head. I bit him, but I don’t remember where. He didn’t like it, so he turned me over, put his arm around my neck and choked me,” she said.

Ms Hand, a mother of one, was left with extensive bruises and abrasions all over her body, including purple and blue bruises on her arms and wrists, a bloody scratch on her chest and soreness on her neck after she said she was admitted to camera. Mr. McGregor’s chokehold.

Mr McGregor denied he caused the bruises on her body, claiming they may have occurred when she took a “swan dive” into the hotel room bath.

The court heard that Ms Hand suffered serious physical and psychological injuries as a result of Mr McGregor’s attack and that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The next day Ms Hand was taken by ambulance to Rotunda Hospital where she was assessed at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU).

A paramedic who examined Ms Hand the day after the attack told the court she had not seen “someone so bruised” for a long time.

Ms Hand was also concerned about the tampon she was wearing on the night she was attacked.

Dr Daniel Kane, who works as a gynecologist and also a forensic expert in sexual assault cases, explained how he had to use forceps to remove a tampon that was “stuck inside”.

Ms Hand broke down several times, testifying for nearly three days and seeking several adjournments.

The jury was told Ms Hand had to give up her job as a hairdresser and was unable to work because her mental health meant her relationship with her partner ended several months after the incident and she had to move out of home. in Drimna, and she is now in arrears on her mortgage.

She also said she had to stop seeing a counselor because she could no longer afford to pay for the sessions.

The court also heard she spent more than €4,000 on GP, ​​pharmacy and psychotherapist expenses.