Woman Claims Conor McGregor Choked Her Before Raping Her

A woman who accused Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor of raping her told the court that McGregor strangled her three times and that she thought she was going to die.

Nikita Hand launched a civil lawsuit against Mr McGregor and another man, seeking compensation for an alleged sexual assault that occurred in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

Mr McGregor denies the allegations and his lawyers said at an earlier hearing that Ms Hand had attempted extortion.

In 2020, Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to criminally prosecute either man due to lack of evidence and lack of reasonable prospect of conviction.

In a civil case in the Republic of Ireland – unlike a criminal case – neither the complainant nor the two defendants have an automatic right to anonymity during court proceedings.

Ms Hand was visibly shaking as she gave evidence on Wednesday, and the court was adjourned several times so she could take a break.

The former hair colourist described his memories of the alleged attack, which began after a Christmas night out with colleagues on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

Ms Hand had been drinking and admitted taking cocaine when she contacted Mr McGregor that night.

He said he took himself and a friend from the hall into a car with a driver to go to another party.

Ms Hand went to her penthouse apartment at the Beacon Hotel with a group including Mr McGregor and his security detail.

She recalled telling Mr McGregor that she wasn’t there for sex, that she had a boyfriend and knew her partner.

But she claimed Mr McGregor strangled her and strangled her three times.

“He pinned me to the bed, I held my hands to my chest, and he put his body weight on me.”

‘I thought I would never see my daughter again’

Ms Hand said she felt like she couldn’t breathe and her “only defense was to bite him”.

“He didn’t like it. “He turned and grabbed me by my neck and shoulders,” he said.

Ms Hand claimed that she froze at this stage.

“I couldn’t move, I was looking at my bedpost and thinking about my daughter, I thought I was going to die,” he said.

“I thought I would never see my daughter again”

After this, she claimed Mr McGregor left her and apologized to him to “reassure” him that he “won’t hurt me again”.

Ms Hand said McGregor said: “’That’s how I felt in the octagon and I had to hit myself three times.’

He added: “I thought it was such a strange thing to say. I promised him I wouldn’t tell anyone anything.

“I let him do whatever he had to do so I could survive, I wasn’t myself anymore.”

After this, Ms Hand claimed the MMA fighter took off her clothes and raped her.

He said he later woke up in a panic, worried that he had not contacted his partner.

He texted his partner to say he was having a great time, but Ms Hand told the court she did so because she “didn’t want to worry him”.

When McGregor left, Ms Hand stayed in the hotel room with the second defendant, James Lawerence, of Rafters Road, Drimnagh, Dublin.

“I remember being devastated then,” he said.

“As I looked at my arms, things kept coming back to me. And I said: ‘You all ignored what Conor did to women.’”

Ms Hand alleges Mr Lawrence replied: “I can’t believe I’m in this room when this is happening to you.”

He added that he tried to calm her down and ordered a burger and fries.

In the days following the alleged assault, Ms Hand told a colleague and then her mother about the alleged assault.

She received treatment in hospital and began contacting the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

But when she reported the attack to gardaí at a later date, she was told Mr Lawrence claimed he had sex with her at the hotel the same night.

“I’m shocked, I don’t remember anything about it,” Ms Hand told the court.

“I thought James was looking out for me and saying things like that.”

The court was then shown CCTV footage of Mr McGregor leaving the hotel at around 18:00 GMT on Sunday night, while Ms Hand and Ms Lawrence left the hotel at 22:17 GMT.

Ms Hand and Mr Lawrence appeared barefoot in some CCTV footage; They were carrying drinks in their hands and had difficulty returning to their rooms from the hotel elevator.

Ms Hand cried and shook as the footage played and said she did not remember being in the elevator or the car park.

In the time since the alleged attack, the court heard Ms Hand had been unable to work due to mental health issues and had been living on disability benefits.

by BBC News

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