Former UFC champion Conor McGregor lost his civil case in Dublin, with a jury finding the fighter liable for sexual assault and awarding damages to Nikita Hand. According to Yahoo! Sports, the High Court decision awarded Hand $259,149.36 due to the alleged assault at a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
The jury found that McGregor was liable for the sexual assault that is alleged to have happened at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin. Hand claimed she was raped by McGregor and another man, James Lawrence.
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Lawrence was found not to have assaulted Hand, pointing the spotlight at McGregor. The fighter appeared in court for the first time to hear the decision, arriving alongside his fiancee Dee Devlin. McGregor declined to comment to the press outside of the courthouse, opting to release a statement online later.
“I will be appealing today’s decision. The judge’s instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide,” McGregor’s statement read.
Hand took a moment to speak out herself, thanking people for supporting her and hoping her situation can help someone speak out themselves.
“Lastly, I want to thank my daughter Freya, she has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you — no matter who the person is — and justice will be served.
“To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice. I know this has not only impacted my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends tremendously … it is something that I will never forget for the rest of my life,” she added.
