Court heard claim masked men broke into home of woman in McGregor case

Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, leaves the High Court in Dublin (Brian Lawless/PA)

A gang of masked men broke into the home of a woman who took a civil case against mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor accusing him of raping her, the court heard.

Nikita Hand was awarded damages of almost €250,000 following a civil case heard by a jury at the High Court in Dublin on Friday.

The incident was referred to at the start of the trial when the jury was not present, and the court heard masked men had broken into Ms Hand’s home, smashed the windows and stabbed her boyfriend.

Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, speaking to the media outside the High Court in Dublin on Friday. (Brian Lawless/PA)

Ms Hand’s counsel John Gordon told Judge Alexander Owens that the incident happened on June 14.

“The plaintiff’s home was invaded by a group of men wearing balaclavas,” he said.

“The broke into the plaintiff’s bedroom, and were driven out by the plaintiff’s partner, who suffered a stab wound in the process. Her daughter was in the next room, sleeping.”

Mr Gordon also told the court that the men broke windows in the front room before leaving.

“We are not laying that at the feet of the defendants or saying they have anything to do with that,” he added.

“We do make the claim that it was not an untargeted attack, (it) rose from supporters of the first named defendant (Mr McGregor).

“It is related to the claim that she had to move out of the Drimnagh area.”

The judge asked whether the claim was being made that McGregor had anything to do with it, to which Mr Gordon replied: “No, judge, it is an item of special damage.

“It related to her state of anxiety and her claim that she had to move from the Drimnagh area, as she has now done.”

Mr McGregor’s barrister Remy Farrell said it seemed Ms Hand was introducing a claim “which is nothing to do with us”, and complained it would be “an invitation to the jury to speculate”.

The judge ruled that he considered it to be “completely irrelevant and shouldn’t be referred to”.

At the close of the case it was agreed by Ms Hand’s counsel and the judge that the claim would not be made for the house move.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí received report of an incident of aggravated burglary that occurred at a premises on the Errigal Road in Drimnagh, Dublin 12 at approximately 2.20am on Friday, June 14 2024.

“One man aged in his 30s was conveyed to St James’s Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries sustained as a result of this incident.

“Investigations are ongoing.”