Jury sworn in for alleged sexual assault civil case against McGregor

Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor has been charged with raping a woman in a Dublin hotel, the city’s High Court has been told.

Nikita Hand is seeking civil damages against McGregor and another man, alleging she was sexually assaulted.

Mr McGregor’s lawyers told the court that Ms Hand, who does not have an automatic right to anonymity, was attempting to commit extortion.

Judge Alexander Owens told the jury that Ms Hand was sexually assaulted by McGregor and James Lawrence on December 9, 2018, with an address in Rafters Road, Drimnagh.

The judge said the pair had “effectively raped” her.

Mr Justice Owens told the jury that this is not a criminal case but a civil case of assault and that if it is found that the assault took place then there is a civil wrong and the claimant is entitled to damages.

John Gordon SC for Ms Hand said his client knew Mr McGregor because they were in the same age group, from the same area and had mutual friends.

In 2018, Ms Hand was living in the Dublin suburb of Drimnagh with her partner and seven-year-old daughter.

Mr Gordon said Mr McGregor was “hugely famous” and regarded as a “hero” around Drimnagh.

The court heard that Mr McGregor picked up Ms Hand, a hairdresser in Dublin, and her friend after a Christmas party on December 8.

Ms Hand believed Mr McGregor took her and her friend to another party.

Later, Mr Lawrence accompanied them to a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin, where they drank alcohol and took cocaine.

At one point, Mr. McGregor motioned for Ms. Hand to join him in a bedroom.

The court heard that Mr McGregor ‘came’ to Mrs Hand but she did not want to have intercourse because she had her period.

Ms Hand then claims Mr McGregor pinned her to the bed.

Mr Gordon said the jury will hear how she tried to push him away but failed and was left with bruises, scratches and a cut to her chest.

The court also heard from a gynecologist who examined Ms Hand in the Rotunda Hospital emergency department on December 10.

Dr. Daniel Kane said she was “shaking and crying” during the inquest.

Dr. Kane also noticed multiple injuries on Ms Hand, photographs of which were shown to the court.

He described the injuries as moderate to serious.

It is later claimed she had sex with Mr Lawrence, but Mr Gordon said she has no memory of this.

Mrs Hand later went home and visited her mother, who called 999.

She was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Mr Gordon said Mr McGregor will attribute injuries to ‘rough sex’

“What he is saying is that she gave him permission to carry out a brutal attack on her body,” he added.

The defense claimed that Ms. Hand had several opportunities to complain to people about the way she was treated, but she did not.

The court will also allege that Ms. Hand is involved in an attempted extortion.

Mr Gordon said his client has been called a “gold digger and a fraudster”.

However, he said she had shown courage in seeking “justification and compensation”.

The promotion is expected to last approximately two weeks.