Conor McGregor, the renowned mixed martial arts fighter, has lost his appeal in a high-profile civil rape case brought against him by Irish woman Nikita Hand.
The Court of Appeal in Dublin unanimously upheld the original jury’s verdict, which found McGregor liable for sexually assaulting Hand at a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
Hand accused McGregor of “brutally raping and battering” her in a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel.
A jury awarded Hand €248,603.60 in damages, and McGregor was ordered to pay approximately €1.3 million in legal costs, totaling around €1.5 million.
McGregor maintained that the encounter was consensual.
The three-judge panel dismissed all five grounds raised by McGregor’s legal team, labeling some arguments as “gossamer-thin.”
The court affirmed that there were no procedural errors in the original trial, and the evidence presented was sufficient to uphold the jury’s decision.
Reacting to the judgement, Hand expressed relief that she could now “finally move on and try to heal” but acknowledged that the appeal process had “retraumatised” her.
She urged survivors to speak out and seek justice.
Despite this setback, McGregor has announced plans to run in Ireland’s presidential election this year, although he faces significant hurdles to get on the ballot.
The ruling might impact McGregor’s public image and commercial partnerships, and the Irish government may review whether his behaviour aligned with his eligibility for public honours or future political ambition.
AFP
