Conor McGregor loses appeal over verdict in civil rape case
Conor McGregor has lost his appeal in a civil case in which Dublin woman Nikita Hand accused him of rape.
Former hairdresser Nikita Hand, 35, sued the mixed martial arts fighter over an incident at a south Dublin hotel in December 2018.
He was said to have ‘brutally raped and battered’ Ms Hand in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel.
Conor McGregor. Pic: Collins Courts
During a three-week case at the High Court in Dublin last November, McGregor told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand.
After six hours and 10 minutes of deliberating, the jury of eight women and four men found McGregor civilly liable for assault.
Ms Hand was awarded €248,603.60 in damages.
Nikita Hand arriving at the Court of Appeal. Pic: Collins Courts/CC
McGregor then launched an appeal on the basis of five grounds, one of which involved new evidence that was dramatically withdrawn at a hearing earlier this month.
Reading out the judgment on behalf of the three-judge panel today, Mr Justice Brian O’Moore summarised the grounds for appeal before explaining the Court of Appeal’s reasons for dismissing all five grounds.
Conor McGregor. Pic: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
‘I therefore dismiss the appeal in its entirety,’ he said.
Ms Hand was in court for the delivery of the judgment, while Mr McGregor was not present.