Conor McGregor found liable in case of rape and sexual assault, jury rules

• Conor McGregor was found responsible in connection with a 2018 sexual assault in Dublin, Ireland on Friday.
• The MMA fighter has been ordered to pay the victim nearly €250,000
• McGregor said he is appealing the decision in a post on X after the trial

MMA fighter Conor McGregor was found liable in a civil rape and sexual assault case in a court in Ireland on Friday, according to multiple reports.

The 36-year-old athlete was accused in a civil suit accused in 2021 of “brutally” raping and raping a woman named Nikita Hand while intoxicated in December 2018 after she invited McGregor to join her and a friend at a company party in Dublin.

A civil jury found McGregor responsible for sexually assaulting Hand and has been ordered to pay her damages totaling nearly €250,000, which translates to about $257,000 in US dollars, according to Associated Press and that Guardian.

Lawyers for Hand claimed the woman was left with bruises and post-traumatic stress disorder after the assault. She also accused a friend of McGregor, James Lawrence, of assaulting her on the night in question, and learned that Lawrence did not assault her, according to Guardian.

After the verdict, McGregor avoided reporters and refused to comment as he left the courthouse.

Hand, meanwhile, spoke to reporters outside the courthouse in Dublin and told them she was “overwhelmed” by the support she has received through the process, per Guardians report.

“To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how scared you may be, speak up, you have a voice and keep fighting for justice,” Hand told the media after the trial.

Hand also thanked his daughter on Friday. According to the AP, Hand said her daughter gave her “so much strength and courage over the last six years through this nightmare.”

“I want to show (her) 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 done,” Hand added.

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McGregor spoke out in one post on X (formerly known as Twitter) after leaving the courthouse, saying he is “disappointed” and plans to appeal the decision.

“I will be appealing today’s decision,” McGregor wrote. “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 presented by the DPP. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you for all my support around the world.”

PEOPLE has reached out to a representative for McGregor for comment.

Chief Executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Rachel Morrogh, issued a statement to Irish mirror after the trial, called the verdict “very positive” and a “sign of faith in survivors around the country” on Friday.

“In the face of great adversity, Nikita Hand held fast to her belief that the truth must be told and recognized in court,” Morrogh said in the statement. “Today’s verdict will be greeted with relief by many survivors of sexual violence who are watching and listening closely to the narrative inside and outside the courtroom.”

McGregor has faced numerous allegations of sexual assault in addition to the allegations made by Hand. In 2022, a woman claimed in a lawsuit that McGregor hit and threatened to drown her while they were celebrating his birthday on the boat in Ibiza. He has denied the charges and the case is still ongoing.

McGregor was accused of sexual assault again in 2023, when a woman claimed she was “violently” forced to perform oral sex in a bathroom at the Kaseya Center in Miami after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. However, prosecutors said they would not pursue the case due to “insufficient evidence”. ESPN reported.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.