Conor McGregor has lost his civil rape case in Ireland after a jury found him liable for assault. The case had been going on for much of the month. Nikita Ni Lamhain, a woman from Ireland, claimed McGregor and another man had sex with her against her will after a Christmas party in 2018. Ni Lamhain, who is also known as Nikita Hand, alleged the UFC star picked her and her friend up following the holiday get-together and took them to a nearby hotel. She claimed while there, McGregor forced himself on her on a bed in a penthouse suite. She also stated that later, another man, James Lawrence, sexually assaulted her too.
McGregor claimed their encounter was entirely consensual. However, this decision confirms that the court did not believe his recounting of events. They awarded Ni Lamhain with $250,000 in damages. Their report also stated that James Lawrence did not assault her. The media approached for McGregor for comment outside of the courthouse, but he did not make any statements there.
Conor McGregor Found Liable For 2018 Sexual Assault
Conor McGregor took to X (formerly Twitter) to deliver a public condemnation of the verdict. He announced that he plans to appeal the court's decision. "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 that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future," he said.
The embattled mixed martial arts star, who was once the biggest box office draw in the sport, has been in and out of legal troubles for much of the last ten years. He's been in several driving incidents since 2017. At UFC 223, he attacked a bus used by rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, smashing a window and injuring other fighters inside in the process. The NYPD issued a warrant for his arrest, eventually charging him with three counts of assault, one count of criminal mischief, as well as menacing and reckless endangerment. That was brought down to one disorderly conduct charge. He served only five days of community service after a no contest plea. In 2023, he was accused of physically assaulting a woman on his yacht and sexually assaulting another after Game Four of the NBA Finals. And now, he is liable for this instance in 2018. As this is a new development, McGregor has not yet filed his appeal.