Court to rule on Conor McGregor's appeal against civil finding he assaulted Nikita Hand

One of the grounds of appeal centred around Mr McGregor’s answers in a garda interview where he said 'no comment' about 100 times, with his lawyers saying that it was prejudicial evidence which should not have been introduced

Conor McGregor (pictured), who denied the allegations, was originally ordered to pay Ms Hand’s costs in the case. File photo: Niall Carson/PA

The Court of Appeal will deliver its ruling on Thursday in the appeal by Conor McGregor against the High Court civil jury finding that he assaulted Nikita Hand.

Last November, a jury found in Ms Hand’s favour, in a case where she alleged Mr McGregor had raped her in a hotel room in Dublin in 2018.

The jury awarded her €250,000 in damages.

Mr McGregor, who denied the allegations, was also ordered to pay Ms Hand’s costs in the case. The Court of Appeal has heard the legal costs involved in the civil assault trial totalled €1.3m.

Earlier this month, the MMA fighter dramatically withdrew one of his main grounds of appeal in the case which was fresh evidence he wanted to introduce.

The fresh evidence in question had related to testimony to be given by the former Northern Irish state pathologist Professor Jack Crane.

This was regarding sworn affidavits from Ms Hand's neighbours at the time of the alleged assault - Samantha O'Reilly and Stephen Cummins - claiming they had heard an altercation within Ms Hand's apartment at the time of the issues in dispute in December 2018.

Nikita Hand was awarded €250,000 in damages in the original case. File photo: Niall Carson/PA

On foot of this, John Gordon SC, for Ms Hand, said that Mr McGregor should face a charge of inducing others to commit perjury on his behalf. He added that it was designed to "undermine [his] client's reputation" and she didn't have a chance to refute the claims in court. 

The other grounds of appeal centred around Mr McGregor’s answers to gardaí when he was interviewed after Ms Hand alleged he had raped her. His lawyers said that the jury hearing that he said “no comment” about 100 times was prejudicial evidence which should not have been introduced.

Mr McGregor’s legal team also appealed on the basis of the “issue paper” given to the jury, which laid out the questions they had to answer in reaching their verdict.

James Lawrence

Separately, no costs order was made against Ms Hand for those associated with co-defendant James Lawrence in the case.

Mr Lawrence, a friend of Mr McGregor, also denied assaulting Ms Hand on the same day in the Beacon Hotel. Both men said they had consensual sex with her.

Mr Lawrence appealed the High Court’s decision not to award him his costs even though the jury found he did not assault Ms Hand. During the trial, the court heard that Mr McGregor had paid all of Mr Lawrence’s costs.

The judgement will be delivered by Ms Justice Kennedy, Mr Justice O’Moore and Mr Justice MacGrath at 2pm on Thursday.