Case No. 2805Rape (civil claim) · Co. Dublin · 9 Dec 2018
Conor McGregor ordered to pay bulk of Nikita Hand's legal costs in civil rape claim
Mr Justice Alexander Owens ordered Conor McGregor to pay the bulk of Nikita Hand's legal costs, estimated at over €1 million, after a High Court jury upheld her civil rape claim against him in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. The judge also ruled that James Lawrence, a friend of McGregor's, was not entitled to his costs after the jury found he had not assaulted Hand.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court19 Nov
12 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports118 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA paramedic described the bruising on Hand's body as one of the worst cases she had seen (irishtimes.com)
- whatA doctor at the Rotunda hospital sexual assault unit said hers was one of the worst cases he had seen (irishtimes.com)
- whatJames Lawrence was also sued in the civil action (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor paid all of Lawrence's legal fees (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe trial involved eight days of evidence (irishtimes.com)
- whatHand suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (irishtimes.com)
- whatAn experienced vocational assessor said Hand could not go back to the work she had done (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe DPP decided not to prosecute over Hand's complaints (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor was at Krystle nightclub with friends including two girls on the night of the alleged assault (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor drove one of the girls to Clontarf (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe hotel suite was booked some hours earlier by McGregor's driver (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor agreed that two months earlier he was put in a stranglehold by his opponent in a fight (irishtimes.com)
- whatBoth men deny the claims and pleaded they separately had consensual sex with Ms Hand at the hotel on 9 December 2018. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe action seeks damages for assault arising from alleged rape in the Beacon hotel on December 9th, 2018 (irishtimes.com)
- whatBoth men deny the claims and gave evidence they separately had consensual sex with Ms Hand (irishtimes.com)
- whatCCTV showed Mr McGregor leaving with Ms Kealey about 6.15pm and Ms Hand leaving with Mr Lawrence about 10.30pm (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand and Ms Kealey had been partying all night from the evening of Saturday December 8th into the morning of December 9th and consumed alcohol and cocaine (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr McGregor said cocaine was also available; Mr Lawrence said he has never taken cocaine (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand gave evidence she was raped by Mr McGregor and had no memory of having sex later with Mr Lawrence (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Lawrence said he had consensual sex twice with Ms Hand (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand gave evidence her watch was pushed up against her during her encounter with Mr McGregor (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand was cross-examined about her evidence there was a tampon inside her when she was at the hotel (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand was diagnosed with PTSD in December 2020 (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand had been unable to return to her work as a hair colourist and was certified unfit to work in May 2019 (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand and Ms Kealey had consumed alcohol and cocaine before the incident (irishtimes.com)
- whatNikita Hand is a 35-year-old hair colourist. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatCalls to the 24-hour national rape crisis helpline almost doubled over the weekend (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe number of first-time callers increased by 50 per cent (irishtimes.com)
- whatMs Hand alleged she was raped by Mr McGregor in the Beacon hotel on 9 December 2018. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMr Lawrence said in his evidence they had consensual sex twice. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor owns three Dublin pubs: the Black Forge Inn, the Marble Arch in Drimnagh, and the Waterside in Howth. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor made his Hollywood debut in March starring in Road House with Jake Gyllenhaal. (irishtimes.com)
- whatIn June McGregor struck a deal to use his image in the Hitman video game. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor sold the Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand for $130 million (€123 million) three years ago. (irishtimes.com)
- whatIO Interactive cut ties with McGregor following the court ruling. (irishtimes.com)
- whatBarry Group, owner of Costcutter and Carry Out, dropped Forged Irish Stout and Proper No. Twelve Whiskey. (irishtimes.com)
- whatAsda dropped Forged Stout from 500 UK stores. (irishtimes.com)
- whatJD Wetherspoon cut the product from seven Irish pubs. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor Sports and Entertainment Ltd profits fell in 2023 to €194,297 from €528,263 the previous year. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor reportedly received $100 million for a Las Vegas boxing defeat in 2017 to Floyd Mayweather. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHand said she was menstruating at the time with a tampon inside her (irishtimes.com)
- whatMcGregor put Hand in a chokehold three times, leaving her struggling to breathe (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe incident occurred in the Beacon Hotel (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe alleged assault took place in the Beacon hotel in Dublin (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe alleged rape took place in the penthouse suite of the Beacon Hotel in Dublin. (dublinlive.ie)
- whereThe alleged rape took place in the Beacon hotel in Dublin (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe alleged rape took place in the penthouse suite of the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford, south Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe alleged assault took place on 9 December 2018 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe nightclub went on until about 7am (irishtimes.com)
- whenMcGregor gave a statement to gardaí on 18 January 2019 saying he was shocked at the injuries (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe jury began deliberations just after 3pm on Thursday (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe case opened on November 5th and entered its 11th day on Thursday (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe alleged assault took place in a hotel on 9 December 2018 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe jury verdict was delivered on Friday afternoon. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe day of the article marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe alleged rape occurred on 9 December 2018 (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Alexander Owens began charging the jury on the law (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Alexander Owens began his charge addressing the issue of consent to sexual activity. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge asked the jury to be cautious about drawing conclusions about what a person alleging sexual assault should or should not have done. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge told the jury that if they find McGregor raped Hand, damages should be substantial, proportionate and fair. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge began his charge late on Tuesday and resumed at 10am on Wednesday, adjourning at 1.30pm due to a juror's commitment. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury will answer yes or no on whether McGregor assaulted Hand and whether Lawrence assaulted Hand, and only if yes will they assess damages. (irishtimes.com)
- courtDamages fall under four categories: general damages for assault, special damages for medical expenses, damages for past and future loss of earnings, and aggravated damages. (irishtimes.com)
- courtIf Hand was raped by McGregor, she is entitled to substantial, not nominal damages. (irishtimes.com)
- courtEven if PTSD is not proved, the jury could take it a victim would have to live with it for years to come. (irishtimes.com)
- courtIf Hand was raped by Lawrence, she is entitled to substantial damages even if she was unaware it had happened, but the jury is excluded from assessing PTSD damages against Lawrence. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge said the jury should forget that McGregor is a wealthy man and Lawrence is not when awarding damages. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge said the concern is not just truth and lies but credibility and reliability, and that CCTV from the hotel can be regarded as more reliable. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe onus of proof is on Ms Hand and the standard of proof is on the balance of probabilities (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury must answer yes or no to separate questions on whether Mr McGregor assaulted Ms Hand and whether Mr Lawrence assaulted Ms Hand (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury awarded €248,603 in damages to Nikita Hand against Conor McGregor (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe verdicts were delivered on the 12th day of the case which opened on 5 November (irishtimes.com)
- courtLegal sources estimated the costs of the action at around €1.5 million (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe damages included about €60,000 in general damages and €188,000 in special damages, with no aggravated or punitive damages (irishtimes.com)
- courtConor McGregor stated he would appeal the verdict (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury of eight women and four men deliberated for six hours and 10 minutes (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Owens told the jury Ms Hand had to prove her case on the balance of probabilities (irishtimes.com)
- courtNikita Hand was awarded €248,603 in damages against Conor McGregor (irishtimes.com)
- courtA civil jury found McGregor assaulted Hand (irishtimes.com)
- courtMcGregor said he would be appealing the decision (irishtimes.com)
- courtA High Court jury awarded Nikita Hand up to €250,000 in damages in her civil rape claim against Conor McGregor. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtConor McGregor has indicated he intends to appeal the decision. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtNikita Hand failed in her claim against James Lawrence for sexual assault. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtMr Justice Owens made comments around consent and what it means. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtA High Court jury awarded €248,603 in damages to Ms Hand against Mr McGregor (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury found Nikita Hand was assaulted by McGregor but not by Lawrence (irishtimes.com)
- courtDamages of €248,603 were awarded against McGregor (irishtimes.com)
- courtLegal costs are estimated at €1.5 million with each party represented by senior and junior counsel (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Alexander Owens will decide the costs issue (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe High Court pushed back the hearing on legal costs in the civil case. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA jury found Ms Hand had been assaulted by Mr McGregor but not by Mr Lawrence. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe jury awarded damages of €248,603 against Mr McGregor. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe costs hearing was due before Mr Justice Alexander Owens on Thursday 28 November. (irishtimes.com)
- courtBarrister Siún Leonowics, instructed by Coleman Legal, asked to delay the costs hearing to Thursday 5 December. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMs Hand's two senior counsel, John Gordan and Ray Boland, had other diary commitments. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Justice Owens agreed to move the costs hearing to the following Thursday. (irishtimes.com)
- courtA High Court jury found against McGregor in his civil rape case. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMcGregor faces paying the bulk of Hand's legal costs, estimated at more than €1 million (irishtimes.com)
- courtHand was awarded almost €250,000 in damages (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceNikita Hand was awarded nearly €250,000 in damages. (irishtimes.com)
- otherBoth men deny the claims and say they separately had consensual sex with Hand at the hotel on December 9, 2018. (irishtimes.com)
- otherCCTV showed McGregor leaving with Kealey about 6.15pm and Hand leaving with Lawrence about 10.30pm. (irishtimes.com)
- otherHand and Kealey had been partying all the previous night and into the morning of December 9 and consumed alcohol and cocaine. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMcGregor and Lawrence were separately partying in Dublin nightclubs and consumed alcohol; McGregor said cocaine was also available. (irishtimes.com)
- otherHand said she was raped by McGregor and had no memory of having sex later with Lawrence. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMcGregor said he was shocked when later shown photos of bruising on Hand and had not caused it. (irishtimes.com)
- otherLawrence said he had consensual sex twice with Hand using condoms and saw no marks other than a small bruise she pointed out. (irishtimes.com)
- otherCalls to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre increased by almost 20 per cent over the first 10 days of the trial (irishtimes.com)
- otherCalls to the 24-hour National Rape Crisis Helpline almost doubled over the weekend following the verdict. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherFirst-time callers to the helpline increased by 50%. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherOver the six hours immediately after the verdict, calls to Dublin Rape Crisis Centre surged by 150%. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherDublin Rape Crisis Centre rostered additional staff on the National Helpline. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherMr McGregor denied the claim (irishtimes.com)
- otherIO Interactive ceased its collaboration with McGregor and began removing all content featuring him from its storefronts (irishtimes.com)
- otherLidl and Aldi said they did not sell any products owned by Conor McGregor (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe DRCC 24-hour national helpline number is 1800 778888 (irishtimes.com)
- otherMcGregor published social media comments that appeared to defame Ms Hand and attack the integrity of the High Court (irishtimes.com)
- otherLegal sources estimated the total legal costs in the case at around €1.5 million. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 5 Dec2024Conor McGregor faces paying bulk of Nikita Hand’s legal costs of successful civil rape claim
Reports Mr Justice Owens' costs ruling: McGregor to pay bulk of Hand's costs (estimated over €1m) on the normal party-party basis; Lawrence not entitled to his costs; McGregor's social media post about the jury may constitute contempt of court ('scandalising the court').
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handaccused, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregoraccused, James Lawrence, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence - 29 Nov2024Conor McGregor Inc: the fighter’s potential losses in the fallout from civil rape case are enormous
Details the extensive commercial and financial fallout from the civil rape verdict, including retailers delisting McGregor's products, IO Interactive ending their collaboration, Proximo removing his name from marketing, and his company's falling profits.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, 36, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregor - 27 Nov2024Hearing on legal costs in Nikita Hand’s case against Conor McGregor and James Lawrence pushed back
The legal costs hearing, originally scheduled for 28 November 2024, was adjourned to 5 December 2024 at the request of Ms Hand's barrister Siún Leonowics. Legal sources estimated total costs at around €1.5 million. McGregor's barrister resisted the delay. The article also notes McGregor has said he will appeal the jury's verdict.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregorsuspect, James Lawrence, 35, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence - 26 Nov2024Court battle looms over who will pay legal costs in Conor McGregor case
Details the upcoming costs hearing, the €248,603 damages award, the complexity of the costs order given mixed jury findings, McGregor's claim he was paying Lawrence's costs, and his social media comments that appeared to defame Ms Hand and attack the High Court.
victim, Nikita Hand, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregorsuspect, James Lawrence, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence - 25 Nov2024Surge in calls to rape crisis helpline after jury decision in Conor McGregor case
Reports the surge in helpline calls (nearly doubled, first-time callers up 50%) and the commercial fallout (IO Interactive ending collaboration, RCNI urging retailers to drop McGregor products, various retailers confirming they do not stock his brands) following the jury's damages award.
victim, Nikita Hand, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handaccused, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregor - 25 Nov2024Calls to Dublin Rape Crisis Centre doubles after Nikita Hand's court victory
Reports the social impact of the jury verdict, including the surge in calls to the National Rape Crisis Helpline, additional staff rostered, and notes that McGregor intends to appeal and that Hand's claim against James Lawrence for sexual assault failed.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregorsuspect, James Lawrence, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence - 22 Nov2024Nikita Hand feels ‘vindicated’ after ‘nightmare’ civil trial for assault against Conor McGregor
Reports the €248,603 damages award, Hand's post-verdict comments, McGregor's statement that he will appeal, and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's response noting a 20% increase in calls during the trial.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregor - 22 Nov2024Conor McGregor to pay almost €250,000 damages to Nikita Hand after jury finds he assaulted her in Dublin hotel
Reports the jury verdict finding McGregor assaulted Hand (€248,603 damages: ~€60,000 general, ~€188,000 special, no aggravated or punitive damages) and finding Lawrence did not assault her; includes McGregor's statement that he will appeal, and details of the trial including the 12th-day verdict, deliberation time, and evidence presented.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, Irish, irishNikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, Irish, named, irishConor McGregorsuspect, James Lawrence, 35, male, Irish, named, irishJames Lawrence - 21 Nov2024Jury to resume considering verdict on Friday in woman’s civil action alleging rape by Conor McGregor
Details of the judge's charge to the jury, including the standard of proof, specific evidence points (watch, tampon, CCTV timings, door locks), the four damages categories, and the jury's deliberation process.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregorsuspect, James Lawrence, 35, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence - 20 Nov2024Conor McGregor case: If jury decides woman was raped, damages should be substantial, judge says
Details of the judge's charge to the jury, including the four categories of damages, the requirement for substantial (not nominal) damages if rape is found, the exclusion of PTSD damages against Lawrence, and guidance on credibility and CCTV evidence.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregorsuspect, James Lawrence, 35, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence - 20 Nov2024Jury may begin considering verdict on woman’s damages action against Conor McGregor over alleged rape in Dublin hotel
Reports the closing speeches by both sides and Mr Justice Owens's charge to the jury before deliberations began, including medical evidence from the Rotunda hospital and the defence's characterisation of Ms Hand's memory loss.
victim, Nikita Hand, 35, woman, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handaccused, Conor McGregor, man, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregoraccused, James Lawrence, man, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence - 19 Nov2024Conor McGregor a ‘devious coward’ who does not have ‘the decency’ to own up to what he did, High Court jury hears
Describes the closing arguments for the plaintiff and both defendants, the judge beginning to charge the jury, and details of the evidence presented over eight days of trial.
victim, Nikita Hand, female, irish (judged from name)Nikita Handsuspect, Conor McGregor, male, named, irish (judged from name)Conor McGregorsuspect, James Lawrence, 35, male, named, irish (judged from name)James Lawrence