DUBLIN, Ireland — Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has lost his appeal against a civil jury’s ruling that favored Nikita Hand, a woman who accused him of rape. The appeal, which McGregor pursued on five separate grounds, was dismissed in its entirety by the Court of Appeal on Thursday.
Hand, 35, successfully sued McGregor for an incident reported to have occurred in December 2018 at a hotel in south Dublin, where she alleged he had “brutally raped and battered” her. The jury determined that, despite McGregor’s assertion of consensual sex, he was found civilly liable for assault.
As a result of the jury’s findings, Hand was awarded damages totaling approximately 248,600 euros, while McGregor was also ordered to cover nearly 1.3 million euros in legal fees related to the trial that took place in November.
McGregor’s appeal included claims of fresh evidence, notably an affidavit from a former neighbor of Hand, stating she had witnessed a physical altercation between Hand and her then-partner around the time of the alleged incident. However, earlier this month, McGregor’s legal counsel withdrew this specific ground for appeal.
The appeal focused instead on other legal issues, particularly the inclusion of McGregor’s “no comment” responses to police questioning during the trial. McGregor’s co-defendant, James Lawrence, similarly faced an unsuccessful appeal regarding the trial judge’s refusal to award him legal costs. The jury did not find Lawrence liable for any assault against Hand, yet the judge ruled that Hand would not have to pay Lawrence’s legal costs.
The three-judge panel, comprising Ms. Justice Isobel Kennedy, Mr. Justice Brian O’Moore, and Mr. Justice Patrick MacGrath, unanimously agreed to reject both appeals. During the court proceedings, Judge O’Moore outlined the reasons for the dismissals, firmly concluding that McGregor’s appeal had no merit.
Following the court’s decision, Hand was visibly emotional and embraced her supporters in the courtroom. Neither McGregor nor Lawrence attended the hearing.
This judgment marks a significant legal defeat for McGregor, whose high-profile career has been marred by various scandals. The ruling reinforces the complexities surrounding accusations of sexual misconduct, along with the subsequent legal ramifications that can unfold in civil courts.
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