It has been revealed that a group of masked men broke into the home of the woman who filed a civil lawsuit against mixed martial artist Conor McGregor for raping her.
The incident was mentioned at the start of proceedings in Dublin, but could not be reported until now because it came to light during legal arguments while the jury was not present.
On Friday, a jury in the Irish High Court found that Mr McGregor had assaulted Nikita Hand in December 2018, accusing her of raping him, and awarded her around €250,000 (about €200,000) in her favor. ordered to pay damages of £8,000).
The court heard that on June 14, unidentified masked men entered her home, smashed a window and stabbed her boyfriend.
Mr Hand's lawyer, John Gordon, told Judge Owens that Mr Hand was not suggesting that militants were behind the attack, but rather that Mr Hand was trying to explain his anxiety and why he had moved from his home. said it was helpful.
“The plaintiff's house was invaded by a group of men wearing balaclavas,” he said.
“The pair entered the complainant's bedroom and were chased out by the complainant's partner, but in the process the complainant sustained stab wounds. Her daughter was sleeping in the next room.”
Gordon also told the court that the men broke a window in the front room before leaving.
“We are not laying it at the defendant's feet or saying they have anything to do with it,” he added.
“While we maintain that it was not an untargeted attack, [it] Gathered from supporters of the first named defendant [McGregor].
“It relates to the allegation that she had to move from the Drimnah area.”
The judge asked if there was an allegation that McGregor had anything to do with it, to which Gordon replied:
“It was related to her state of anxiety and her claim that she had to move from the Drimna area as it is now.”
McGregor's lawyer, Remy Farrell, said Hand appeared to be raising allegations that had “nothing to do with us” and complained that it would “lead the jury to speculation”. .
The judge ruled that the matter was “totally irrelevant and should not be mentioned.”
A Garda spokesperson confirmed that they had received a report of an aggravated robbery and that an investigation was ongoing. It added that the man was treated at a hospital for “non-life-threatening injuries.”
On Friday, Ms McGregor denied Mr Hand's claims as lies and fabrications to cover up her boyfriend's affair, and noted that the damages awarded were “modest” as she appealed the High Court's decision. He said there was.
“The judge's instructions and the modest award awarded were for assault, not aggravated or punitive damages,” he said. I feel very sorry for that. [Ireland’s director of public prosecutions] I reviewed it. I'm currently with my family and focused on my future. Thank you for all the support from around the world,” he said on X.
The Democratic Party had decided not to pursue the case in 2020 because there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.
McGregor was facing charges that he “brutally raped and beat” Hand. December 2018 at a hotel in south Dublin.
The Irish sports star previously testified in court that he had consensual sex with Hand in the penthouse of the Beacon Hotel.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Center said the case was a key moment in establishing the meaning of “consent” after the judge made it clear in his final comments to the jury that “submission” was neither consent nor dangerous behavior. Owens said drinking or taking drugs “doesn't mean you're going to have sex.”
