CONOR McGregor was found by a civil trial jury to have raped and assaulted Nikita Hand.
And supporters of the victim have now called for the DPP to reinvestigate the case.
The stony-faced multi-millionaire UFC star had nothing to say as he left the High Court in Dublin city centre after the verdict.
The jury awarded almost €250,000 in damages to hair colourist Nikita, who said she was “brutally” raped and “battered” by the mixed martial arts star in a Dublin hotel penthouse six years ago.
A crying and shaking Ms Hand bowed her head and listened to the verdict surrounded by family, supporters and her boyfriend.
McGregor bowed his head and remained seated upon hearing the jury’s decision.
However, despite saying nothing as he left the court, the “disappointed” dad-of-four later vowed to appeal the judgment of the jury.
He posted on social media: “I will be appealing today’s decision.
“The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages.
“I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future.”
Ms Hand is to be awarded €60,000 in general damages and €188,000 in special damages, totalling €248,000, said Mr Justice Alexander Owens.
The court has already been told that ‘special’, or medical damages, have been agreed by both sides.
The jury of eight women and four men found former hairdresser Ms Hand had been assaulted by the UFC fighter following the three-week civil trial.
A second man, James Lawrence, of Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, did not assault Ms Hand, the jury found.
The judge sent the jury out to begin their deliberations just after 3pm on Thursday, before sending them home after around an hour.
They resumed at 10am today before announcing a verdict after six hours and ten minutes.
During the three-week trial, McGregor took the stand in his own defence, telling the jury that he had “consensual” sex with Nikita Hand, which he described as “enthusiastic, athletic, prolonged and vigorous” and carried out in a “multitude” of positions.
‘RAPED & BATTERED’
Ms Hand alleged that McGregor – once the highest-earning sports person in the world – “brutally raped and battered” her in the hotel penthouse six years ago.
She said McGregor wouldn’t take no for an answer, pinned her down and choked her three times before raping her, leaving her with bruising.
The next morning she had to have a tampon removed by a doctor in hospital using a forceps.
The doctor described her as having a multitude of injuries which he categorised as “moderate to severe”.
Ms Hand sought damages from McGregor and James Lawrence arising from the events of December 9, 2018, at the Beacon Hotel.
CONSENSUAL CLAIMS
Mr Lawrence claimed that he twice had consensual sex with Ms Hand after McGregor left the hotel.
Ms Hand had said that Mr Lawrence’s claim of consensual sex was “lies”.
Both McGregor and Mr Lawrence denied the allegations.
Ms Hand said she only discovered Mr Lawrence’s claim that he had sex with her when the defendant gave a statement to gardai as a witness to events on the night.
Mr Lawrence was found not to have assaulted Ms Hand.
FAMILY IN COURT
McGregor sat with fiancee Dee Devlin, family and supporters towards the rear of the court today in what was his partner’s first appearance at the three-week trial.
Ms Devlin and the former fighter’s mum Margaret sat alongside McGregor in court as the panel delivered their ruling.
The sport star’s father Tony, sister Aoife and his brother-in-law, Terry Kavanagh, who is married to Conor’s sister, Erin, also turned up at the High Court for the verdict.
Reacting to the decision, Daithi Doolan, the Sinn Fein councillor who lives in Drimnagh which neighbours McGregor’s native Crumlin, said the “overwhelming majority” of the community and the country stand by Nikita.
Inside Court 24: How the case against McGregor played out
By Cate McCurry, PA
WHAT started as a fun night out for a Christmas work party, ended six years later inside the High Court in Dublin, with Nikita Hand winning her case against Conor McGregor.
The Dublin woman and the Irish sports star knew each other from growing up in the same area of south-west Dublin and socialising in similar circles.
Throughout the three-week civil case, McGregor and Ms Hand sat feet away from each other inside the small Court 24.
The mother-of-one sat next to her partner, Gary, for each of the 12 days of the case – he often had his arm around her as the court heard details of McGregor’s version of events.
While the mixed martial arts fighter described the mood throughout their time in the penthouse suite as “happy” and “playful” and “full of energy”, Ms Hand spoke of feeling afraid for her life.
At one point as he gave evidence, McGregor leaned into the microphone and said Ms Hand’s character was someone who was “joyed and excited” and “having a good night”.
He recalled the night in detail, telling the court his “story never weaned”.
McGregor said he was shocked when Ms Hand went to police about what had happened in room 715 of the now-closed Beacon Hotel, that he had wanted to take a microphone to the top of the mountains to shout about his version of events.
Ms Hand gave evidence for two-and-a-half days, her voice shaking as she told the jury she had struggled to break free from McGregor, how she had been attacked, and how she thought she would never see her young daughter again.
She tightened her hand around tissues and at times she was reminded to speak up and into the microphone as her voice became barely audible.
The sharply divergent accounts of what happened on December 9 2018 were laid out before the jury.
“One side or the other is telling lies,” Justice Alexander Owens told the panel.
The court was packed with members of the public every day of the case, with some people attending almost every day.
On one occasion, Justice Owens ordered those who could not get a seat in the upstairs gallery to leave. He reminded them that courts did not have to accommodate every person who wanted to watch proceedings.
Members of the public squeezed into the public balcony to hear what all parties had to say.
Among those seated in the public gallery was a man with his young son dressed in his school uniform, others had shopping bags, while some took packed lunches – pensioners and teenagers sat side-by-side.
People in the front row of the public balcony could be seen leaning over the edge of the rails to look down at McGregor, who sat directly below them.
Sitting next to McGregor was his father, Tony McGregor, who was in court every day, including during the few hours his son said he could not attend due to an “upset stomach”.
For the most part, McGregor stared straight ahead, sometimes glancing to his left where the jury sat.
On Friday, he was accompanied in court by his partner Dee Devlin, his parents, sister, brother-in-law and niece.
His mother rubbed his arm as they waited for the jury to return their verdicts.
John Gordon, senior counsel for Ms Hand, had previously told the jury that they had been subjected to “arrogant, distasteful, dishonest testimony” by the Irish sportsman.
In his closing speech earlier this week, Mr Gordon described McGregor’s alleged behaviour as “savage, coward and devious”.
He said McGregor had colluded with his friend James Lawrence to concoct a story that they had had consensual sex with the hairdresser in the penthouse.
McGregor, who is reported to be worth around €190 million, will now have to pay out more than €248,603.60, not including legal costs.
Speaking outside court, Ms Hand said: “I want to show Freya (Ms Hand’s daughter) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you – no matter who the person is – and justice will be served.”
Ms Hand lived in Drimnagh earlier this year, but moved after her home was invaded by masked men in June.
Mr Doolin said she was “brave” and hoped the case outcome brought her some vindication and closure to a “very traumatic experience for her”.
‘TRAUMATIZED’
He told The Irish Sun: “We need to remember that behind all the hype and the headline is a woman who’s been traumatized and I hope that she’s able to move on with her life to some extent.
“I think the overwhelming majority of people in Drimnagh — I live in Drimnagh, I’m a resident — and indeed people right across Ireland, supported her and are glad that she can hopefully now move on and deal with that trauma.
“Because I’m sure the fire going to the DPP and coming back and then her having to take a civil action is very deeply traumatic for herself and her loved ones and I hope they can now get peace.”
Ms Hand told the trial she felt “absolutely devastated and let down” when the DPP told her that no criminal prosecution would be taken against McGregor.
She sought a review, but the DPP’s decision was upheld.
COMPLEX CASE
Its director reviewed the file and said that the case was very complex and there was no reasonable prospect of conviction for either McGregor or Lawrence, who was not found liable today.
Doolan said: “Obviously the threshold is very different, both for the DPP and the civil case.
“I think if there’s an avenue open to the DPP, well then I would encourage them to go down that avenue. But I’m not a legal expert. I can only judge on the evidence presented to me.
“I know the evidence that the DPP is slightly different than a civil case but it doesn’t detract from the fact that she has got justice.”
‘VINDICATED’
Mr Doolin added: “She’s been vindicated and I hope she can move on with her life and deal with that trauma.”
The threshold in a criminal case is higher than a civil case.
In criminal matters, a jury must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt while in a civil case, it is on the balance of probabilities.
