The woman who won a rape case against Conor McGregor could end up owing more money than the €250,000 (£210,000) he has to pay her in damages after his High Court defeat, it emerged today.
Nikita Hand was handed a six-figure damages settlement last Friday after a jury in Dublin believed that the 36-year-old MMA megastar ‘brutally raped’ and ‘battered’ the ex-hair colourist in a Dublin hotel penthouse.
Nikita told the High Court that McGregor ‘pinned’ her down on the bed, choked her three times and left her thinking she was ‘going to die’. ‘I just let him do whatever he needed to do, so I could survive,’ she said of the attack during a drink and cocaine-fuelled Christmas ‘after-party’.
McGregor shook his head as he was ordered to pay Ms Hand more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages last Friday.
But the jury did not find against McGregor’s co-accused and friend James Lawrence, who should be entitled to recoup his legal fees.
During the civil trial it was revealed that McGregor had paid Lawrence’s legal costs for him – and anything he gets back would be expected to go back to the MMA star. A costs hearing will be held next week.
Leading Irish barrister Shane English said: ‘In reality, if she got €250,000, I suspect his costs could be easily that or more.
‘You could easily find a situation where Ms Hands ends up owing money to Mr Lawrence, not withstanding what she has won’.
McGregor last week lost a civil case brought by Nikita Hand, 35, (pictured) who won almost €250,000 in damages after she alleged that he raped her in a Dublin hotel on December 9, 2018
James Lawrence, co-defendant of mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor, had his legal fees paid by his friend. Ms Hand also accused McGregor’s friend James Lawrence, 35, of assaulting her on that day. The jury decided that Ms Hand was assaulted by McGregor, but not by his co-accused Lawrence.
Mr English, who was not involved in Ireland’s biggest civil trial of the year, said he would expect McGregor’s friend to pursue Ms Hand for his legal costs.
These, presumably, will then be handed back to Mr McGregor.
‘I can’t see see any legal reason why Mr Lawrence can’t recover his legal costs from Ms Hand, unless there was some agreement in court’, Mr English told the Irish Independent.
It came as the fiancée of Conor McGregor stood by him leapt to his defence with a furious rant on social media against Nikita.
Dee Devlin took to Instagram to deliver a blistering attack on Ms Hand – telling her ‘My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world’.
In the messages Ms Devlin painted Ms Hand as a party girl who had sent ‘provocative pictures of herself’ to McGregor.
Writing on Instagram, she said: ‘Imagine a WOMAN, with her own boyfriend and child, texting provocative pictures of herself to another woman’s man with a family and child on the way.
‘This woman claims to know me, yet still went ahead and sent messages and pictures of herself over and over to my man? Really?
‘Whilst out on a 3 day bender, texting excuses to her own child at home where mammy is on Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night into Monday morning.
‘All the while out of her face in a hotel room dancing around a hotel carpark. What sort of WOMAN are you!!!
Conor McGregor’s partner of 15 years, Dee Devlin was pictured arriving hand-in-hand with the mixed martial arts star to the his civil court case and took to Instagram to post a long rant in staunch defence of her man
Posting a family snap of McGregor and Devlin with two of their four children, she said: ‘I love him I trust him and I BELIEVE HIM!’
She then went on to launch into a furious rant aimed at Ms Hand in which she made a series of astonishing allegations before adding: ‘My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world.’
‘My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world.’
Ms Devlin, McGregor’s partner of 15 years, arrived hand-in-hand with McGregor to the hearings and comforted him when the verdict was delivered, also claimed that CCTV existed that would cast doubt on Ms Hand’s version of events.
She wrote: ‘CCTV DOES NOT LIE. I look forward to the day the world will see the footage of you on that night and the carry on of you. Not a bother on you having the time of your life.
‘This is the real evidence, video footage no one knew was being taken in the moment which you miraculously don’t remember?
‘To me it looks like you’re the one sexually assaulting in the lift. To me it looks like everyone is trying to get away from you.
‘Conor and I dealt with these issues privately many years ago, as should be done in a relationship and we have come out stronger than ever. We have four beautiful children now whose smiling faces and happy hearts are a testament to who he is and who we are!
‘They without sin cast the first stone.’
Mixed martial arts fighter McGregor and partner Dee Devlin outside the High Court in Dublin on Friday November 22
The MMA fighter and Devlin have been together since 2008 and became engaged in 2020, although they are yet to get married
McGregor last week vowed to appeal the High Court’s decision but expressed his ‘regret’ over ‘mistakes’ made.
Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said: ‘People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made mistakes.
‘Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I should have shut the party down.
‘I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me.
‘As much as I regret it, everything that happened that night was consensual and all the witnesses present swore to that under oath.
‘I have instructed my legal team to appeal the decision.’
He added: ‘I can’t go back and I will move forward. I am beyond grateful to my family, friends and supporters all over the world who have stayed by my side. That’s it. No more. Getting back to the gym- the fight game awaits!’
It comes after the MailOnline exclusively revealed a host of major UK retailers are set to pull McGregor affiliated drinks from sale.
Conor McGregor has issued a fresh statement vowing to appeal his civil sexual assault case defeat but admitted he has made ‘mistakes’
McGregor and his partner leave the High Court after the case against him
McGregor, pictured with his partner of 15 years Dee Devlin
Tesco, who boast over 3,400 stores across the UK, Asda, with over 1,200 UK stores and major food delivery service Ocado have all confirmed that they will no longer stock or sell Proper 12 whiskey or Forged Irish Stout.
The Irish fighter was the face of both brands, appearing in advertisements and promotional material across a host of platforms, with the Proper 12 whiskey brand named after McGregor’s home postal district in Dublin.
In a statement to the MailOnline, a Tesco spokesperson stated: ‘We can confirm that we are removing Proper No 12 Whiskey from sale in Tesco stores and online’.
An Asda spokesperson told the MailOnline: ‘I can confirm that we have removed Forged Irish Stout from sale in store and online and have made the supplier aware of this decision’.
Similarly, an Ocado spokesperson could not provide comment but did confirm that the alcoholic beverages which were affiliated with McGregor would no longer be sold by the food delivery service and have been removed from stock as of today.
The news of major UK retailers distancing themselves from the MMA star comes off the back of Irish distributors confirming that they would also be removing both Proper 12 whiskey and Forged Irish Stout from sale.
Ireland’s largest food retail company Musgraves confirmed on Tuesday morning to The Currency that they would be ‘delisting’ drinks associated with McGregor.
Conor McGregor lost his civil sexual assault case against Nikita hand in Irish court last week
Now, a number of major UK retailers have revealed to the MailOnline that they are removing drink brands affiliated with McGregor from sale
Both Proper 12 Whiskey and Forged Irish Stout will no longer be sold by Tesco and Ocado
McGregor has been accused of sex attacks on four other occasions, all of which were dismissed by police, most recently in Miami last year at the NBA Finals.
In every case he has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and on at least one occasion sources close to him said allegations of sexual assault were mendacious and money-related.
However, on this occasion, a jury found that McGregor assaulted Ms Hand in Dublin hotel, The Beacon, in December 2018.
The jury at the High Court in Dublin had been deliberating for a day before returning its verdict that McGregor did assault Ms Hand.
Following eight days of evidence and a further three of listening to closing speeches and the judge’s comments, the jury of eight women and four men spent just over six hours deliberating before returning with its verdict.
As the verdict was read out, McGregor shook his head, whilst Ms Hand cried and was hugged by her partner and supporters.
In emotional scenes outside the court following the verdict, Ms Hand told reporters said she was ‘overwhelmed and touched’ by the support she had received.
She added: ‘I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other young girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be served’.
Hand is comforted after the decision following two weeks of hearings in Dublin
After deliberating for six hours and 10 minutes, the jury returned with their verdicts on Friday
McGregor and his partner, Dee Devlin, outside the High Court in Dublin after Friday’s verdict
The Proper 12 Irish Whiskey brand was first launched back in 2018 by McGregor, with the fighter and his team eventually selling the brand for a reported sale price of roughly £500 million.
McGregor himself pocketed an estimated £120 million in the deal when selling his majority stake, but has remained a prominent promoter of the whiskey since its 2021 acquisition by Proximo Spirits.
The former two-division UFC champion also currently owns a business empire in his native Ireland which boasts the popular Dublin pub The Blackforge Inn as its public-facing crown.
McGregor has spent an estimated £2.5 million purchasing and renovating the venue on Dublin’s Longmile Road which has become the social media backdrop for the fighter’s online promoting of both Proper 12 whiskey and Forged Irish Stout.
A number of other leading UK retailers have been contacted by the MailOnline but are yet to comment as to whether or not they will continue to stock both of McGregor’s affiliated drinks.
