Woman wins compensation case against MMA star Conor McGregor over rape accusation

Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor. McGregor’s photo from Facebook

McGregor, 36, shook his head as the jury returned its verdict, awarding €248,603 ($258,559) in damages to Nikita Hand, who brought the case to the Dublin High Court.

McGregor allegedly “brutally raped and assaulted” Hand in December 2018, the court was told, but the Irish sports star claimed they had consensual sex.

Speaking after the verdicts, Hand, 35, told reporters: “I hope my story reminds us that no matter how scared you are, speak up, you have a voice, and keep fighting for justice.”

He thanked his family, including his daughter Freya.

“The last six years have given me so much strength and courage to continue pushing for justice throughout this nightmare,” he added.

“I want to show Freya and all other boys and girls that if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, you can defend yourself and justice will be served.”

The standard of proof is lower in a civil case than in a criminal case, and the jury is required to decide the case on the balance of probabilities rather than beyond a reasonable doubt.

Although the jury ruled in Hand’s favor on the charge against McGregor, Hande lost the assault case against a second man.

The court heard testimony for two weeks from witnesses, including Hand, who did not have the automatic right to anonymity in the case.

Hand added that he was “very touched and moved” by the support he received.

“Every single person that reached out to me – a card, a letter, an email, anything – it didn’t go unnoticed. Thank you, I really appreciate it,” she said.

Irish national broadcaster RTE reported earlier this month that Hand was “absolutely devastated and disappointed” after the Director of Public Prosecutions told him they would not prosecute either McGregor or the second man over his allegations.

He asked for the DPP’s decision to be reconsidered, but the decision was approved.

According to RTE, Hand claimed that the DPP did not file a lawsuit because one of the suspects was a celebrity.

McGregor is one of the biggest stars in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts tour, having previously held the featherweight and lightweight titles.

However, the DPP’s office said the director had personally reviewed the case but said the case was too complex and there was no reasonable prospect of conviction for either man.

McGregor made headlines in November last year with a series of social media posts criticizing the government’s immigration policy during the unrest in Ireland.