Conor McGregor’s friend tells court: ‘I wouldn’t allow myself to be raped’ and calls accuser’s allegations ‘total lies’

CONOR McGregor has told a court he was “beyond petrified” when questioned by police about the alleged rape of hair colourist Nikita Hand.

The MMA star, 36, today said he sought legal advice after being arrested in January 2019 because it was the first time something like this had happened in his life and it was “strange” to him.

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He told the High One Court he had first gone to his lawyer’s office, told them his version of events and followed their advice.

And McGregor said he answered “no comment” to more than 100 questions because his legal team told him to.

Ms Hand is suing the star and another man, James Lawrence, for allegedly raping her That of Dublin Beacon Hotel on December 9, 2018.

Both men deny the accusations and say they had sex with her.

On his second day of proof, McGregor denied that Lawrence “might take the blame for him” and be an “ease” following media reports of a high-profile sports star being investigated for an alleged rape.

He replied, “Who would take the blame for this?”

McGregor was cross-examined before Ms Hand and agreed that his statement to gardai in which he denied raping Ms Hand was quite short.

He said: “I would have loved to go to the top of the mountain and shout it from the hilltops, but due to the seriousness of the allegation I went to my lawyer and sought their advice.”

He added: “These allegations are false and I had to come here and speak my piece and my truth.”

McGregor also said he believed he had paid Lawrence’s legal fees related to the civil suit.

SEPARATE COSTS

He said Lawrence, from Drimnagh, Dublin, is his friend and would not have the money for the case.

McGregor and Lawrence are accused of separate assaults on Ms Hand at the Beacon Hotel.

The jury heard Ms Hand and a colleague, Danielle Kealy, partying from the evening of December 8 to the morning of December 9. Ms Hand had been drinking and admitted using cocaine.

Both women were picked up in McGregor’s car at around 10.15am on December 9, with Lawrence picked up some time afterwards, the court heard. All four arrived at the hotel around 12:30 pm on December 9.

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CCTV footage showed McGregor and Ms Kealy leaving at about 6.13pm and Ms Hand and Lawrence leaving at about 10.30pm. Ms Hand claims McGregor raped her at the hotel.

And she said she had no memory of having sex with Lawrence after McGregor left the room.

McGregor has insisted he had “completely consensual” and “energetic” sex with Ms Hand, describing her evidence as “full of lies”.

He agreed with Mr Gordon that it had been arranged for him to make a statement at Dundrum Garda station on January 17, 2019.

‘NO COMMENT’

McGregor confirmed it was a written statement in his lawyer’s handwriting, not his.

After agreeing that he answered “no comment” to more than 100 questions, Judge Alex Owens said: “Everyone is entitled to it and the jury cannot draw a negative inference from him saying “no comment”.”

Mr Gordon read out McGregor’s statement in which he said he had ‘physical’ sex with Ms Hand at the hotel.

It added: “We were both enjoying ourselves and having a great time.”

‘ENJOY’

The hunter said he fell asleep, while Mrs. Hand pulled him to wake him up. He said he eventually did and they had sex again.

He said she “enjoyed it and moaned with pleasure” and he ejaculated at least once.

McGregor agreed he was shown photos of Ms Hand with bruises and said he was shocked by that.

But he told Mr Gordon: ‘My story has never diminished and never changed in six years. Your customer’s has been changed several times.’

Bruises

McGregor agreed that in a later statement on January 18, 2019, he referred to Lawrence having sex with Ms Hand.

When asked if he had in mind that Lawrence would be “the patsy” and “take the fall,” he said “no.”

He insisted he did not cause Ms Hand’s bruises and told Mr Gordon: “Your client had sexual relations with multiple people on multiple occasions that day.”

When Mr Gordon asked with whom, McGregor told himself and Lawrence he was “in the know”.

‘TOTAL LIES’

He said he didn’t know if she had sex with other people in other locations.

The UFC star denied he had a discussion with Lawrence about “how to play this” and insisted they were not “colluding.”

Later, Lawrence took the stand and also described Ms Hand’s allegations as “total lies”.

He said he had been with McGregor at two nightclubs in Dublin on December 8.

SEX SOUNDS

Lawrence said he slept that night and around 10:30 or 11 a.m. the next morning, the MMA great came to his house to use the restroom and see if he would come out.

He decided to go to the Beacon Hotel with McGregor, Ms Hand and Ms Kealy and told the court Ms Hand was in good spirits.

During the time he was in the penthouse, Lawrence said he heard sex noises coming from the room where Ms Hand was with Mr McGregor.

He added: “I could hear her moaning and they seemed to be having a good time.”

‘I’m going to regret that’

He said Ms Kealy told him she would regret it, saying Ms Hand had just bought a house with her boyfriend.

Lawrence said Ms Kealy said she would have sex with him if he was given condoms.

He said he had sex with her three times and used all three condoms he had.

Lawrence told his counsel, John Fitzgerald SC, that McGregor had gone to sleep at some point and he told Ms Hand that if he was asleep to just leave him.

THE FRIEND

He said McGregor left with Ms Kealy to give her a lift home in a car driven by his security.

Lawrence said Mrs. Hand wanted to stay and drink more, but he said he was done.

After they decided to leave in a car driven by another of McGregor’s bodyguards, he said Ms Hand kissed him and asked him to go to the pub.

Lawrence said he saw her texting her boyfriend and that she “had no problem lying to him.”

‘SHE STARTED TO TEAR’

He said they eventually returned to the hotel and he had sex with Ms Hand in the same bed he had had sex with Ms Kealy.

When asked if he had noticed any spots at this point, he replied: “No, she didn’t say anything.”

Lawrence said they ordered food together with the guard, and then had sex with Ms Hand a second time. He added: “She then started tearing up.”

They later left in a taxi and the taxi took her to a friend’s house. He said he gave her €50 for the taxi.

When asked if he was a cheat for McGregor, Lawrence insisted: “Never in a million years.”

He added: “I would not convict myself of raping a woman.”

The case continues.