BY: Walker
Published 2 weeks ago
A jury ruled in favor of a woman who accused UFC superstar Conor McGregor of sexually assaulting her in a hotel room in December 2018.
The 36-year-old athlete was accused in a civil suit brought forward in 2021 of “brutally” raping and battering a woman named Nikita Hand while she was intoxicated in Dec. 2018, after she invited McGregor to join her and a friend at a company holiday party in Dublin.
A civil jury determined that McGregor was liable of sexually assaulting Hand, and has been ordered to pay damages to her totaling nearly €250,000, which converts into roughly $257,000 in U.S. dollars, according to the Associated Press and the Guardian.
Lawyers for Hand claimed that the woman was left with bruises and post-traumatic stress disorder after the assault. She also accused a friend of McGregor’s, James Lawrence, of assaulting her on the night in question, found Lawrence did not assault her, according to the Guardian.
Following the verdict, McGregor ducked reporters and declined to comment while leaving the courthouse.
BREAKING: No comment from Conor McGregor as he leaves court to a media flurry, pic.twitter.com/eYEsferlY5
— Paul Healy (@Healyhack) November 22, 2024
Hand, meanwhile, spoke to reporters outside of the Dublin courthouse, telling them she was “overwhelmed” by the support she’s received through the process, per the Guardian’s report.
“To all the victims of sexual assault, 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,” Hand told media after the trial.
Hand also thanked her daughter on Friday. According to the AP, Hand said her daughter gave her “so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare.”
“I want to 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,” Hand added.
via: People
McGregor spoke out in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Two men falsely accused. One vindicated, the other soon to be! Congrats James Lawrence on absolute exoneration! Twice this heinous accusation was put to you and twice it was shown as FALSE! LIES!”
“It is absolutely disgraceful what they put you through here. Disgraceful! I look forward to seeing you further vindicate yourself and lambast those responsible in court! We know what happened that night! Everyone present knows, yet it was ignored. Every single statement of persons present on the night was ignored.”
He ended with, “On we fight! Justice and truth will prevail! Appeal! Appeal! Appeal! As well as other. Congrats James! Onwards and upwards!
