DUBLIN, Nov 23 — Conor McGregor has been ordered to pay €248,000 (RM1.23 million) in damages after a High Court jury in Dublin ruled he sexually assaulted Nikita Hand at a hotel in December 2018, according to the BBC.
The jury, made up of eight women and four men, delivered the verdict after six hours of deliberation yesterday, finding McGregor guilty of assaulting the 35-year-old hair colourist.
The BBC reported that Hand accused McGregor of pinning her to a bed and assaulting her during an encounter at the Beacon Hotel after a Christmas party.
She sustained extensive bruising and abrasions, which were assessed at a sexual assault treatment unit the following day.
Speaking outside the court, Hand expressed gratitude for the support she received and encouraged others to speak up against such incidents.
“No matter how afraid you might be to speak up, you have a voice,” she said, as quoted by the BBC.
McGregor, who denied the allegations and claimed the injuries could have occurred from an unrelated incident, announced plans to appeal the verdict. In a statement on X, he thanked his supporters and said he was focusing on his future with his family.
The jury cleared a second man, James Lawrence, of assault charges related to the same night.
Both men had argued their encounters with Hand were consensual.
The BBC reported that the court heard how Hand has struggled with her mental health and financial stability since the incident, leading to the end of her relationship, job loss, and mortgage arrears.
- She had also incurred more than €4,000 in medical and counselling expenses but had to stop seeking treatment due to financial constraints.
