Leading support charity Rape Crisis Network Ireland insisted Nikita Hand has been “vindicated” following her civil court win over Conor McGregor.
Following a two-week trial, which featured eight days of presenting evidence at Dublin High Court, a jury of eight men and four women found McGregor liable for the sexual assault of Nikita Ni Laimhin, also known as Nikita Hand. Ms. Hand sued McGregor following an encounter in December 2018.
Ms. Hand accused the 35-year-old of leaving her “brutally raped and battered” and, in emotional testimony, she claimed to have been put in a chokehold by the former UFC champion multiple times. The plaintiff tearfully revealed she was worried that she would never see her daughter again with the encounter leaving her fear for her life.
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Once the highest-earning sportsperson in the world, McGregor denied all accusations and said the encounter was consensual and that the two had “athletic and vigorous” sex as he took to the stand. The MMA star – who had been accompanied to court by fiancee Dee Devlin – could be seen shaking his head when the verdict was delivered at Dublin High Court.
When asked for comment following the jury’s decision, Rape Crisis Network Ireland – a leading feminist organization advocating on behalf of survivors of sexual violence – lauded Ms. Hand’s determination in the lawsuit against McGregor.
“Nikita Hand has been vindicated today,” Cliona Saidlear, an executive director at RCNI, told Mirror U.S. Sport in a statement. “She stood up to one of the biggest sports stars and held him accountable for his brutal assault of her. His team tried to shame and blame her, she was vilified by many online. But she fought and won.”
Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, speaks to the media outside the High Court in Dublin after winning the sexual assault case against Conor McGregor (
Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
McGregor will now have to pay $257,000 in damages, but he will not face prison time. The trial was a civil case as Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to criminally charge the 35-year-old after police investigated Ms. Hand’s allegations.
During his closing speech, Ms. Hand’s lawyer, John Gordon, told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. Gordon said: “He’s not a man, he’s a coward. A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.”
Following a night of partying, the incident in December 2018 left Ms. Hand heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the lawsuit. A paramedic who examined Ms. Hand the next day testified that she hadn’t seen someone with such intense bruising.
Following the verdict, Ms. Hand addressed the media and read a statement outside the courthouse. She thanked her family, friends, and all the supporters that reached out to her during the ordeal, before closing with a heartfelt message to victims.
“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,” she said. “I know this has impacted my life, my daughter’s, my family and my 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.”
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