Woman claims UFC fighter Conor McGregor choked and raped her in Dublin hotel; 'feared she wouldn't see daughter again'

Iconic of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter Conor McGregor choked a woman three times and raped her in a Dublin Hotel in December 2018, the Dublin high court was told on Wednesday. The 36-year-old UFC star is facing a civil action in Dublin over charges of rape by a former hair colourist, Nikita Hand, who is seeking damage for an alleged sex assault in a hotel in 2018. As per the rules in the Republic of Ireland, the complainant and the accused are not entitled to anonymity in a civil action.

McGregor has denied the accusations and his lawyers claimed in the high court that Hand is extorting their client. McGregor was also set free by Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions in 2020 after the department decided that there wasn’t enough evidence for conviction.

Hand, however, is in no mood to let go of things.

On Wednesday, she appeared in the court and gave an account of what happened on the night. As per the reports, Hand was visibly shaking and took multiple breaks while giving evidence.

McGregor choked the woman three times

Hand revealed that she had cocaine before contacting McGregor who later took her to a penthouse suite in the Beacon Hotel. Hand also shared that she informed McGregor that she was not interested in having sex but the fighter would not take no for an answer and choked her three times.

“He pinned me down on the bed, I held my hands to my chest, he put his body weight on top of me,” she said.

Hand then bit McGregor in defence but the mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete didn’t like it. “He didn’t like it. So he flipped around and had me by the neck and shoulders,” she added.

“I couldn’t move, I was staring at the bed post thinking about my daughter, thinking I was gonna die,” she said. “I thought I’d never see my daughter again.”

Hand said that McGregor then let her go and in panic, she promised him that she would not “tell anyone anything”.

“I just let him do whatever he needed to do, so I could survive, I wasn’t myself anymore,” she said.

Hand added that McGregor then took off her clothes and raped her.

As per the court proceedings, McGregor left the hotel after raping Hand who was left in the room with another man James Lawerence. It has been alleged that Hand also had sex with Lawrence on the same night but she refused to have any recollection of that.

‘Hand was shaking and crying’

Hand revealed that she later went home and shared the details with her mother who called for help by calling 999. The court also heard testimony from Dr Daniel Keane, a gynecologist and forensic examiner specializing in sexual assault cases.

Dr Keane recounted that he was on duty in the emergency department at Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital when Hand arrived by ambulance. He described her as “shaking and crying.” Due to her level of discomfort, they provided a blanket for her to sit on.

In his report, Dr Keane shared that Hand had reported that her alleged assailant had grabbed her by the neck and obstructed her breathing, leaving her feeling helpless and fearing for her life.

Dr Keane went on to detail numerous bruises found on Hand’s body, including marks on her face, arms, fingers, forearms, knuckles, legs, lower back, and buttocks, as well as a 9cm scratch on her left breast.

The case is expected to go on for two weeks.