A WOMAN who won her rape civil action against UFC fighter Conor McGregor sobbed as she revealed how her young daughter gave her the strength to keep fighting the case.
Nikita Hand, 35, also paid tribute to the Rape Crisis Centre, her partner Gary and her mum after she won her claim against McGregor for damages in a High Court civil case.
McGregor had faced an accusation that he “brutally raped and battered” Nikita Hand at a hotel in south Dublin in December 2018.
The Irish sports star previously told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand in a penthouse at the Beacon Hotel.
Ms Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, lost her case against another man, James Lawrence, who she accused of assaulting her by allegedly having sex without her consent at the same hotel.
Mum-of-one Nikita, 35, was awarded nearly €250,000 in damages.
A decision on costs is due to be made next week.
And she broke down in tears as she delivered a statement to media assembled outside the High Court thanking all who had supported her.
She said: “I would like to start off by saying I’m overwhelmed and touched by the support I have received from everybody.
“First, I want to thank the legal team and my three barristers, John Gordon, Ray Boland and Sean. They have been amazing from start to finish.
“I want to thank Mr Justice Alexander Owens, all the jury, all the witnesses.
“I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone at the Sexual Assault Unit in the Rotunda Hospital for looking after me, especially my own doctor Frank Clarke.
“I want to thank the Rape Crisis Centre, especially Cliona, who has been by my side throughout this entire period. I want to thank all the guards and the ambulance crew.”
She continued: “I want to thank all the women and men out there who have supported me throughout this, for every person who reached out to me, a card, a letter, email, everything – it hasn’t gone unnoticed. I really appreciate it so much.
“I want to thank my partner Gary, who has been so supportive over the last four years and who has held my hand throughout this, everyday and every other day.
“I want to thank my mam and all my family and friends.”
She added: “Lastly I want to thank my daughter Freya, who I’m most grateful for. She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare, to keep on pushing forward for justice.
“I want to show Freya 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 served.”
“I know this has impacted not only my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends tremendously, and it’s something that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
“But now that justice has been served, I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family and friends and daughter.”
Following eight days of evidence and three days listening to closing speeches and the judge’s charge, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning with its verdict.
McGregor shook his head after the jury read out that Ms Hand had won her case against him.
Mr McGregor was accompanied by his family, including his partner Dee Devlin, parents, sister and brother-in-law.
He sat in the back row of the court, between his partner and mother, Margaret.
Ms Hand cried and was hugged by her partner and supporters.
Moments before the jury returned to the courtroom to deliver the verdict, Justice Alexander Owens warned those in the court to remain calm.
Nikita Hand fought back tears and was comforted by her partner as she waited for the jury to return.
McGregor could be heard breathing loudly and heavily as the judge made his way into the courtroom.
Justice Owens said: “I understand the jury has a verdict.
“I want everyone to remain calm. I want no scenes. Anyone who makes a scene will find themselves in jail.”
He also asked that some people standing in the back of the courtroom to move to the public gallery.
The case, which opened on November 5, had previously heard that on the day of the attack, Ms Hand and her work colleague Danielle Kealy went to the penthouse suite with McGregor and Mr Lawrence after their work Christmas party.
They had given evidence of how they had been partying all night from December 8 and into the morning of December 9, and had been heavily drinking and taking cocaine.
Ms Hand told the court how McGregor had pinned her to the bed in the hotel bedroom before assaulting her.
During her evidence to the court, Ms Hand said she thought she would never see her young daughter again when the MMA star was “choking” her.
The court heard that as she was being attacked, she “froze and couldn’t move or breathe”.
She said she had held up both hands and had tried to get away from him, but said the more she struggled, the more he appeared to like it.
She said: “The only thing I could move was my head. I bit him but I can’t remember where. He didn’t like it, so he flipped me around and put his arm around my neck and choked me.”
Ms Hand was left with extensive bruises and abrasions over her body, including purple and blue bruising along her hands and wrists, a bloodied scratch on her breast and tenderness on her neck after she said she was placed in a “chokehold” by Mr McGregor.
Mr McGregor denied he caused the bruising across her body, saying they could have been caused when she “swan dived” into the bath in the hotel room.
The court heard how Ms Hand suffered serious physical and psychological injuries as a result of the attack by McGregor and that she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Ms Hand was taken in an ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital the following day where she was assessed in the sexual assault treatment unit.
A paramedic, who examined Ms Hand the day after the assault, had told the court she had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time.
Ms Hand had also been worried about a tampon she had been wearing on the night she was assaulted.
Dr Daniel Kane, who works as a gynaecologist as well as a forensic examiner in sexual assault cases, explained how he had to use forceps to remove the tampon which had been “wedged inside”.
Ms Hand broke down several times as she gave evidence for almost three days and sought a number of breaks.
The jury had been told how Ms Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser and has not been able to work since due to her mental health, that her relationship with her partner ended months after the incident, she had to move out of her home in Drimnagh, and her mortgage is now in arrears.
She also said she had to stop seeing a counsellor because she could no longer afford to pay for the sessions.
The court also heard that she has spent more than €4,000 on GP, pharmacy and psychotherapist costs.
