Conor McGregor sues Sky News claiming reporter called out to him 'you are a rapist'

The alleged defamation is said to have occurred in the immediate aftermath of McGregor being found civilly liable for the assault of Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel room

Conor McGregor (pictured) is awaiting a determination from the Supreme Court over whether it will hear his appeal on all grounds in the Nikita Hand civil case. File photo

Conor McGregor has been granted permission by the High Court to serve legal papers on Sky News for an alleged defamation he claims occurred in the immediate aftermath of his case last year, when he was found civilly liable for the assault of Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel room.

At the High Court on Thursday Paul O'Higgins SC, appearing with Mark Lynam SC for Mr McGregor, successfully applied to Ms Justice Mary Rose Gearty to serve plenary summons papers outside of the jurisdiction to intended defendants Sky News UK and Sky News Ltd.

A plenary summons is also to be issued to Sky News Ireland, Burlington Plaza, Dublin 4, which is responsible for Sky publications in this jurisdiction, said Mr O'Higgins.

Mr O'Higgins said that on November 22 of last year, there was an encounter between Mr McGregor and Sky News outside the Four Courts complex in Dublin which, according to Mr McGregor, involved a Sky reporter allegedly calling out to him through a "media scrum, that he was a rapist".

After the civil trial last year, the jury awarded Ms Hand almost €250,000 in damages, while Mr McGregor was later ordered to pay the legal costs of the case, believed to be in the region of €1.5m.

Mr McGregor had denied the assault of Ms Hand and lost a subsequent appeal on all grounds. A bid to have alleged new witness evidence introduced in the case was dramatically withdrawn on the first day of the appeal.

Mr McGregor is now awaiting a determination from the Supreme Court over whether it will hear his appeal.

On Thursday Mr O'Higgins, in an ex parte application where only one side is represented, said the alleged words amounted to a defamation of his client in that Mr McGregor had been found by the jury to be civilly liable for the assault.

Counsel said his client's affidavit claims that a Sky News reporter: 

Called out to me 'Excuse me, Mr McGregor, you are a rapist, have you any reaction or apology to the woman at the centre of this?'.

Counsel said the reporter's words were broadcast by Sky on November 22, 2024, could be found online and amounted to defamation that occurred in this jurisdiction.

Mr O'Higgins said he was before the court today because the time limit for bringing a defamation case is one year which, he said, would expire this Saturday, November 22, 2025. He added it was only in exceptional circumstances that this could be extended.

Mr O'Higgins said that because two of the intended defendants were outside the jurisdiction, High Court permission was needed so that those two plenary summonses could be issued to begin proceedings.

Ms Justice Gearty said she would grant the application for the service of the plenary summonses and was told they would be issued by the end of the week.