BREAKING NEWS: Conor McGregor Ordered to Pay $250K in Damages After Losing Assault Case .giang

Conor McGregor has been found liable for the assault of a woman in a Dublin hotel after a two-week trial.

After eight days of evidence at Dublin High Court, a jury of eight men and four women decided he had assaulted the former hair colorist. The UFC star will now have to pay $257,000 in damages.

Mr. McGregor was sued by Nikita Ni Laimhin, also known as Nikita Hand, for sexual assault. Ms. Hand accused the 36-year-old of leaving her “brutally raped and battered” after an encounter in the penthouse suite of the Beacon Hotel on December 9, 2018.

During her emotional testimony, Ms. Hand claimed to have been put in a chokehold by the former UFC champion multiple times, and tearfully said she feared she would never see her daughter again. She was forced to take multiple breaks as she confessed she was scared she would die during the ordeal.

• Conor McGregor rape accuser ‘had bruise on her breast, knee and knuckle’ after alleged incident
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The jury heard how Ms. Hand grew concerned after the incident over a tampon which had become stuck inside her due to the nature of the assault. Advanced paramedic Eithne Scully testified that she had seen Ms Hand after the incident, and had not seen someone with bruising so intense. It was then decided she would be taken to a rape crisis centre after Ms Sculley’s colleague, Neil Dempsey, had assessed her and noticed the bruises on her neck.

The former two-weight UFC champion, once the highest-earning sportsperson in the world, denied all accusations and said the encounter was consensual as he took to the stand. He described it as “enthusiastic, athletic, prolonged and vigorous.”

He confessed to taking cocaine with Ms. Hand, and admitted to going to the home of his friend, James Lawrence, to convince him to come back to the Beacon Hotel with himself, Ms. Hand, and another woman who did not allege any wrongdoing. Mr. Lawrence was also accused of sexually assaulting Ms. Hand, but the jury determined he had not assaulted her.

The trial was a civil case, with Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions deciding not to criminally charge Mr. McGregor or Mr. Lawrence after police investigated Ms. Hand’s allegations. After two weeks of testimony and evidence presented to the jury, it took six hours and 10 minutes for the jury to reach the decision that Mr. McGregor assaulted Ms. Hand.

Speaking before the verdict was read out, Mr. Justice Alexander Owens told the packed courtroom to refrain from any emotional outbursts when the verdict was announced.

Mr. McGregor released a statement on X after refusing to speak outside the court on Friday. He wrote: “I will be appealing today’s decision. The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages.

“I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide.”

Ms. Hand spoke outside of the court. She said: “I am overwhelmed by the support I have received from everybody. I want to thank my legal team and my three barristers, they have bene amazing from start to finish. I want to thank the justice, the jury and all the witnesses. I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone at the sexual assault unit at the Rotunda assault unit, especially my own doctor.

“I want to thank the rape advice centre, I want to thank all the guards and the ambulance crew. I want to thank the men and women who have supported me throughout this trial. For every person who reached out to me, a card, email, everything, it has not gone unnoticed. Thank you, I really appreciate it so much.

“I want to thank my partner who has been so supportive for the last four years and has held my hand throughout this trial every day. I want to thank my mum and all my family and friends. I want to thank my daughter who I am most grateful for. She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six yers through this nightmare to keep pushing forward for justice. I want tot show her and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.

“To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that you have a voice and to keep on fighting for justice. I know this has impacted my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends’ tremendously and it is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. But now that justice has been served I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family, friends and daughter.”