Conor McGregor accused of sexual assault during hearing in Dublin as alleged victim continues civil case

Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor raped a woman in a Dublin hotel, the city’s High Court has been told.

The alleged victim is seeking civil damages against Mr McGregor and another man, alleging she was sexually assaulted in 2018.

But, the court heard on Tuesday, McGregor’s lawyers say the woman is trying to commit extortion.

The fighter, nicknamed “Notorious”, was in court to hear Judge Alexander Owens tell the jury that the woman was sexually assaulted by Mr McGregor and James Lawrence on December 9.

The judge said it is alleged the pair “effectively raped” her.

The court was told McGregor picked up the woman and her friend on December 8 after a Christmas party.

John Gordon SC for the alleged victim said the pair knew each other because they were in the same age group, from the same area and had mutual friends and had been in touch at various times on social media.

At the time, she lived with her partner and child in a suburb of Dublin. She had been out with friends the night of the alleged incident.

That night she had been drinking and using some cocaine. The court also heard she suffered from depression and was taking antidepressants.

The court was told the woman and two of her friends returned to her workplace later that evening where they continued to party and at some point she contacted Mr McGregor.

Mr McGregor picked her and her boyfriend up in his car, and the alleged victim understood they needed to be taken to another party.

He sat in the backseat with the two women while his driver took them around residential areas and honked the horn.

Later they went to the home of Mr. Lawrence, who was in the car with them.

The court was told that Mr McGregor had a bag of cocaine with him, which was shared between Mr McGregor, the complainant and her boyfriend.

The group, which included the complainant, Mr McGregor, his security team and others, then went to a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin.

The court was told they were all drinking and laughing. At one point, Mr McGregor entered a bedroom and beckoned the complainant to join him.

The court was told that Mr McGregor “came into her” but she did not want to have intercourse with him because she was having her period.

Mr Gordon told the court she claimed Mr McGregor had pinned her to the bed and that she was no physical match for him.

“She will tell you that she was nervous, that she tried to push him away but was completely unsuccessful,” he added.

“You will see pictures of her hands and wrists that are black and blue. You will see that her left breast has a bloody scratch. The scratch is there because she was wearing a watch and had her hands up to protect herself. She was pushed down and the watch scarred her chest.

‘Mr McGregor then turns her around, puts her arm in a lock and pulls her up by the neck. She can’t breathe. And he does it again.

“By the third time he does it, she gives up. She can’t resist this anymore. During this he says, ‘Now you know what it was like to be in the Octagon when I went down three times. ‘ ‘

“She was completely terrified at that point. She subjected herself to what was about to happen, which was a violent and brutal attack.”

It is later alleged that she had sex with Mr Lawrence, but Mr Gordon said she cannot remember such an event ever taking place.

The complainant later went home and visited her mother, who called 911. She was taken to hospital by ambulance. The court was told she was shaking and in pain as she was taken to hospital.

Mr Gordon said: ‘In light of this, Mr McGregor will tell you that this was a consensual encounter, they were just having fun and having a bit of rough sex. That’s his answer.

“What did I say about common sense? Don’t be fooled by leaving it in this (court) room.

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

The defense claimed in the evidence booklet that the complainant had several opportunities to complain to people about the way she was treated, but she did not do so.

The court will also allege that the alleged victim is involved in an attempted extortion.

Mr Gordon said his client has been called a “gold digger and a fraudster”, adding: “Brave. But where is the courage in this? Ultimately, the courage lies with my client.

“Because she has continued her mission for justice and compensation to which she is entitled. And that these defendants will dispose of her claim in a light-hearted and brash manner is something you will consider in due course.”

Previously, the jury was sworn in at the Supreme Court and told that they are de facto judges of what happened and will have to reach a conclusion based on their decision.

The promotion is expected to last approximately two weeks.