Conor McGregor’s rape accuser says ‘I know what happened in that room’ as he gathers tearful evidence 4 days later

A WOMAN who claimed Conor McGregor “brutally raped” her on the rooftop of a Dublin hotel told a civil damages jury after completing her testimony at the High Court: “I know what happened in that room.”

Nikita ElAlso known as Nikita Ni Laimhin claim financial compensation against mr. McGregor and another man who claimed he was sexually assaulted in December 2018.

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Both Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence deny the allegations.

On his fourth day in the witness box, he told lawyers for co-defendant James Lawrence, of Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12, that he had no memory of being in the lift with their client.

They claim CCTV footage shows her “not looking like someone who had been violently raped” as she was “affectionate” and “biting his ear and kissing him”.

In the High Court today, hair colourist Ms Hand was shown CCTV footage of the Beacon Hotel from December 9, 2018, but said she remembered nothing of much of her time there.

Ms Hand appears to have been in a lift with Mr Lawrence at 6.51pm on the evening of the alleged rape, which Mr McGregor alleges occurred in the afternoon.

The court heard Mr McGregor and a female friend of Ms Hand left the hotel shortly after 6pm.

When Mrs. Hand leaves gardai Mr Lawrence, who claimed he was raped by Mr McGregor, was forced to give a witness statement in which he claimed he had consensual sex with Ms Hand on two occasions after Mr McGregor left Beacon at around 6.20pm.

John Fitzgerald SC, for Mr Lawrence, said he did not “look like someone who had been violently raped” and that he had been “compassionate” towards Ms Hand, who was seen carrying a drink in the lift. She “bites his ear and kisses him” towards Mr. Lawrence.

Ms. Hand told Mr. Fitzgerald that she had no memory of being in the elevator with Mr. Lawrence at the time.

Mr Fitzgerald told Mr Hand that he, Mr Lawrence and a driver left the hotel around 7pm and returned from the car park at 7.30pm, but Ms Hand again said she had no memory of leaving or returning to the hotel.

The lawyer said that at 10.17pm, Ms Hand and Mr Lawrence were seen embracing for the last time and leaving the hotel arm in arm, and Ms Hand again stated that she did not remember doing this.

Mr Fitzgerald said: “You do not appear to be someone who has been violently raped before.”

Miss Hand replied: “I’m drunk and I keep tripping over walls. I disagree with you.”

Mr Fitzgerald said Ms Hand told gardaí she did not like Mr Lawrence “at all”, but Ms Hand was seen on CCTV acting in a “playful” manner towards Mr Lawrence on the night and it “appeared to be quite the opposite”.

“I’ll tell you I can’t remember,” said Ms. Hand.

‘I was completely drunk’

The plaintiff said he saw himself on CCTV but “didn’t remember” the footage because his “mind was gone, I was completely drunk, my mind was gone”.

Mr Fitzgerald told Ms Hand that as he and Mr Lawrence left the hotel for 20 minutes before returning, “they kissed and decided to go back to the room to continue the intimacy”. Ms Hand denied this.

The lawyer also pointed out to Ms Hand that her and Mr Lawrence’s kissing “evolved to the point where you had consensual sex and used a condom and another condom for sex”, which Ms Hand denied.

“I think it’s a made-up story,” Ms. Hand said.

Mr. Fitzgerald testified that he was trying to “get James Lawrence off this case” by telling Ms. Hand that he had no memory because Ms. Hand having consensual sex with a friend of Mr.’s was “not a good look.” After McGregor accused Mr. McGregor of raping her.

‘I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED’

“I know what was in that room,” said Ms. Hand.

Ms Hand said gardai took the clothes and underwear she was wearing and they were damaged because Mr McGregor pulled them when she said he was raping her.

Regarding Mr Lawrence’s claim that he had consensual sex with the plaintiff, Ms Hand said she did not like Mr Lawrence when he saw her crying and bruises.

“I wouldn’t consent,” Ms Hand added.

The civil case was also heard today from Eimear Brennan, a manager at the hair salon where Ms Hand worked.

CHRISTMAS PARTY

The court heard hall staff went to a Christmas party on December 8, then returned to the hall where they drank and played music until 7am.

The witness said Ms Hand called Ms Brennan on the night of December 9 to say she would be at her house, said she had been with Mr McGregor at a hotel and claimed he had raped her.

Ms Brennan said Ms Hand texted her on the way to her house to tell her she was “black, blue and broken”.

Once inside, Ms. Hand took off her jacket and Ms. Brennan said she could see bruises on Ms. Hand’s arm.

‘I GIVEN UP FIGHTING’

Ms. Brennan said the plaintiff told her that Mr. McGregor had strangled her three times, that he had allowed her to breathe each time, that she had given up on fighting the defendant and biting him, and that she had “let him do whatever he wanted” because “it was all he could see.” It was his daughter’s face”.

Ms Brennan said she saw bruises on Ms Hand’s chest, thighs, knee, posterior, knuckles and a scratch on her chin.

Ms. Brennan took photographs of some of the injuries but later deleted these photographs and Ms. Hand’s messages at the plaintiff’s request.

Detective Sergeant John Ryan said he noted two conversations he had with Ms Hand, one at her mother’s home and the other when the plaintiff was talking to a doctor in the sexual assault treatment unit on the morning of Monday, December 10, 2018.

DS Ryan said Ms Hand was “extremely distressed” and feared her attacker would kill her.

DS Ryan said Ms Hand was “scared” of the man she alleged raped but did not name the man.

The detective was present at the doctor’s meeting where Ms. Hand’s tampon had to be removed with forceps.

Garda noted that Ms Hand said she drank beer, Bacardi and took cocaine in the period between the Christmas party and her return home.

‘IT WAS COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED’

The garda said he asked Ms Hand to give a statement later the same day but she was horrified and said she would not press charges.

Ms Hand went to gardaí in January 2019 but the court heard she was “completely devastated” when she was told the Director of Public Prosecutions had decided not to prosecute Mr McGregor or Mr Lawrence because there was “no reasonable prospect” of conviction.

The trial continues on Tuesday before Mr Justice Alexander Owens and a jury of eight women and four men.

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