Evidence in civil trial of Conor McGregor over alleged rape concludes

A jury has been told that they have heard all the evidence in the case of alleged rape by MMA fighter Conor McGregor and his friend, and that they will now be the "big decision makers."

McGregor and his friend James Lawrence have both been sued for damages by hair colourist Nikita Hand, 35, from Drimnagh, who has alleged they both raped her in the Beacon Hotel in Dublin on December 9, 2018, during a cocaine and alcohol-fuelled afterparty. 

Both have denied the mother-of-one’s allegation, and claimed the sex was consensual.

The court has previously heard evidence from a doctor at the sexual assault treatment unit at the Rotunda, and from an ambulance paramedic, who said Ms. Hand’s body was covered with severe bruising on the day after the alleged  assaults.

Both men have denied that Ms. Hand was bruised when she was in the penthouse suite with them.

November 13, 2024: James Lawrence at the High Court in Dublin. (RollingNews.ie)

The final witness for the defence, forensic physician and part-time GP Professor Basil John Farnan, told the court that bruising is caused by blunt trauma, and forms when blood vessels under the skin are damaged.

The vessels leak blood, which moves towards the skin, he said.

He said bruises could take 24 to 48 hours to appear, and could change in colour and appearance as they developed.

Skin could first appear red, and then the bruise would develop, changing from blue to brown to yellow, then eventually fading away.

It was good practice in forensic work to take photographs 24 hours apart, to see if more bruises develop, he said.

Prof Farnan said that the anti-anxiety and antidepressant drug Sertraline could, which the court has heard that Ms. Hand was taking, had a "propensity to cause bruising."

The court has heard evidence that Ms. Hand was wearing a tampon when she was allegedly raped, and that the tampon had to be removed by a doctor afterwards as it was stuck high inside her.

Prof Farnan was also asked by Remy Farrell, for Mr. McGregor, whether women could have sex with a "foreign body" in their vagina.

He replied that an HRT drug was given to women via a ring, inserted in the vagina, which he said was larger than a tampon. This did not preclude sexual intercourse, he said.

He also said that, over the years, patients had discovered they had forgotten that they were wearing a tampon, and had subsequently had sex without realising it was in place.

He said a retained tampon would cause discomfort as it would become a source of infection.

November 14, 2024: Nikita Hand at the High Court in Dublin. (RollingNews.ie)

At the close of Prof Farnan’s evidence, Judge Alexander Owens told the jurors: "That is everybody’s case. You have heard all of the evidence."

He said he would now discuss with counsel what would appear on the issue paper, on which the jury will record their ultimate decisions.

"Your role is as the big decision makers, we are like the civil servants who put before the minister the questions he might answer," he said.

"Your role as the big decision makers is to establish the facts and come to a conclusion in relation to those questions."

He asked the jurors to return on Tuesday, for closing arguments from the barristers on both sides, and for his own charge to the jury.

He warned them not to Google the case, or any legal terms such as assault, damages or special damages, saying he would explain those issues to them.

The case continues.

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.