A girl who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has stated “justice has been served” after she received her civil case in opposition to the Irish combined martial arts fighter.
Nikita Hand has been awarded €248,603 (£206,000) in damages after a jury at Dublin’s Excessive Courtroom discovered McGregor assaulted her in a Dublin resort in 2018.
McGregor, 36, made no remark as he swiftly left court docket following the choice on Friday night.
He later stated in an announcement that he had instructed his authorized crew to attraction the civil court docket’s choice, including he was “disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the director of public prosecutions reviewed”.
He ended the assertion saying: “I am with my family, focused on my future.”
McGregor had beforehand advised the court docket he had consensual intercourse with Ms Hand in a penthouse on the Beacon Lodge in December 2018.
‘Regardless of who the particular person is, justice will likely be served’
Talking exterior court docket after the choice, an emotional Ms Hand stated the final two weeks of her civil case in opposition to the fighter have been a “nightmare” and has impacted not solely her life however her daughter’s, associates and family members.
“I would like to start off by saying I’m overwhelmed and touched by the support I have received from everybody,” the mother-of-one stated.
“It’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
“Now that justice has been served, I can now try to transfer on and stay up for the long run with my household and associates and daughter.”
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Ms Hand stated the civil case had been a ‘nightmare’. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA
Ms Hand continued: “I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be: Speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice.
“You possibly can arise for your self if one thing occurs to you – regardless of who the particular person is – and justice will likely be served.”
Ms Hand told the civil court McGregor pinned her to a bed, choked her three times and “brutally raped and battered” her.
The jury was advised she was left with in depth accidents, together with purple and blue bruising alongside her palms and wrists, a bloodied scratch to her breast and tenderness to her neck.
McGregor now not identified for simply his sporting skills
There was not an inch to maneuver on this tiny civil courtroom in centre Dublin.
The jury sat for six hours and 10 minutes, figuring out the way forward for one in all Eire’s largest stars.
You would lower the strain with a knife.
McGregor sat stoney confronted taking intermittent, deep heavy breaths because the clerk of the court docket declared the jury had reached their choice.
It was an indication of the excessive stakes on this case.
“Did Conor McGregor assault Nikita Hand?”
“Yes” got here the reply.
The blood drained from McGregor’s face. His head in his palms.
Because the MMA star stepped out of court docket, he entered a brand new period. He walked straight to his Bentley, ignoring questions from reporters about whether or not he feels regret.
He’s now not only a family title for his sporting skills.
However legal professionals for the fighter contested the lawsuit and accused her of tried “extortion”.
They pointed to CCTV footage of Ms Hand arriving at and leaving the resort with McGregor and a second man, James Lawrence, whom she additionally accused of assault.
Each McGregor and Lawrence denied any wrongdoing. Whereas Ms Hand received her case in opposition to McGregor, she misplaced her declare in opposition to Lawrence.
Break-in at house
Firstly of the trial – when no jury was current – the court docket heard a gaggle of masked males broke into Ms Hand’s house, smashed home windows and stabbed her boyfriend on 14 June.
Ms Hand’s counsel John Gordon stated they weren’t “laying that at the feet of the defendants or saying they have anything to do with that”.
“We do make the claim that it was not an untargeted attack, (it) rose from supporters of the first named defendant (McGregor),” he added.
“It is related to the claim that she had to move out of the Drimnagh area.”
The decide dominated it to be “completely irrelevant and shouldn’t be referred to” through the trial.
On Monday, McGregor’s authorized crew advised jurors it didn’t matter if they didn’t like and even loathed the well-known fighter, urging them to have a look at the proof and never his character.
McGregor and Ms Hand knew one another and had sometimes been involved on social media, the civil trial heard.
Earlier than the assault, Ms Hand had contacted the fighter, who picked up her and a pal in his automotive.
McGregor “came on to her”, however she didn’t wish to have sexual activity with him as she was on her interval, the court docket heard.
