The case of the woman who accused Conor McGregor of rape: a $250 million payout and a bizarre stabbing

“Justice has been served. » Nikita Hand, a 35-year-old Irish woman, said these words after win civil case against famous actor and professional boxer Conor McGregor . The High Court in Dublin found that the man sexually assaulted her in a hotel in 2018.

For the damages, McGregor will have to pay the victim a total of 248,603 euros (over 255 million Chilean pesos).

After the verdict was delivered, the 36-year-old martial arts fighter left the court without comment. It was shortly afterwards that he made a statement in which He said he was “disappointed” that the jury did not hear all the evidence and would appeal the decision.

And he assures that there was never any rape and that he had “completely consensual relations”.

This is what allegedly happened that night, in a hotel in Dublin, Ireland.

As was reported at trial, Conor McGregor and Nikita Hand were acquaintances and communicated “occasionally” via social media.

It was then that in December 2018, the two of them spoke and McGregor, along with a friend – identified as James Lawrence and also accused by the victim – picked Hand up in their vehicle and headed to the Beacon Hotel.

Lawrence and McGregor had been drinking alcohol and using cocaine.

There, following Hand’s declaration, McGregor ‘made advances’ at her, but she refused to have sex because I was on my period.

It was at this point that McGregor He allegedly pinned her against a bed, strangled her three times and “raped and brutally beat her.”

According to British media SkyNews following the attack, The woman suffered “severe injuries, including purple and blue bruising along her hands and wrists, a bloody scratch on her chest and neck pain.”

The victim was taken by ambulance to Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital the day after the attack, where a paramedic who examined her told the court: “I haven’t seen anyone so hurt” in a long time.

They also mentioned during the trial that There was a strange attack at Nikita Hand’s house : A group of masked men broke the windows, entered the house and stabbed the victim’s boyfriend on June 14.

And while Hand’s lawyer, John Gordon, said they weren’t trying to “shift blame” onto the defendants by telling this, they were sure that The attackers were “supporters of the first named accused (McGregor)”.

It was for this reason that the victim had to leave the Drimnagh area, as he feared more people would know where he lived and attempt another attack.

Nevertheless, The judge said that detail was “totally irrelevant and should not be mentioned” during the trial.

Despite this, after presenting all the evidence, including that of the boxer’s defense team, the jury deliberated for a total of six hours and ten minutes. Already with the verdicts, the judge asked for “tranquility” and warned that “anyone who makes a scene will end up in prison”.

—Did Conor McGregor attack Nikita Hand? — asked the judge.

-Yeah. — replied the jurors.

—Did James Lawrence assault Nikita Hand?

-No.

The court remained silent and then discussed the damage McGregor had caused the victim, until finally They said the penalty would be to pay Hand almost 250,000 euros. With that, the matter would be closed.

After hearing the verdict, Nikita Hand made her statements outside the courthouse. He reported that the last two weeks of the trial against McGregor had been a “nightmare” and that it had affected his life, that of his daughter, his friends and his relatives, according to information compiled by the BBC .

As explained in court, after the attack, Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser, because mental health problems resulting from the rape did not allow her to continue her life normally.

“I would like to start by saying that I am overwhelmed and touched by the support I have received from everyone. This is something I will never forget in my life,” he began to say.

He also mentioned that “now that justice has been served, I can try to move forward and look to the future with my family, my friends and my daughter. I hope my story reminds you that no matter how afraid you are: speak up, have a voice, and continue to fight for justice.

“You can defend yourself if something happens to you, it doesn’t matter who the person is, and justice will be done.

Before hearing the verdict, McGregor’s legal team had asked jurors, whether they liked the famous fighter or not, to “look at the evidence and not his character.”

But after the fighter was found guilty, The lawyers assured they would contest the lawsuit and said it was an extortion attempt.

Among the arguments that would support this claim are the hotel security camera footage where the victim is seen entering and leaving with McGregor and Lawrence “normally”.

McGregor used his X account to announce that he will appeal the jury’s decision. He wrote this “The judge’s instruction and the modest compensation awarded concerned assault and not aggravated or exemplary damage.”

“I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all of the evidence considered by the DA’s office. Now I am with my family, focused on my future. “Thank you all for my support” he wrote in an article that is no longer available on his profile.