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Conor McGregor was found civilly liable for raping Nikita Hand, and that finding now stands through Ireland’s ordinary appellate process. A High Court jury delivered the verdict on November 22, 2024, awarding Hand €248,603.60. Ireland’s Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor’s appeal on July 31, 2025, and the Supreme Court refused permission for a further appeal on December 4, 2025.
This was a civil case for damages, not a criminal trial or conviction. The distinction matters: the verdict established civil liability and compensation, while Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions had separately decided not to bring criminal charges.
As of August 12, 2026, the civil finding against Conor McGregor stands. Ireland’s High Court jury found on November 22, 2024, that McGregor raped Nikita Hand and awarded her €248,603.60 in damages. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal in full on July 31, 2025, and the Supreme Court refused permission for a further appeal on December 4, 2025.
The case at a glance
| Issue | Record |
|---|---|
| Type of case | Civil action for damages, not a criminal prosecution |
| Plaintiff | Nikita Hand, also known as Nikita Ní Laimhín |
| Defendants | Conor McGregor and James Lawrence |
| Incident at issue | An alleged sexual assault at the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford, Dublin, on December 9, 2018 |
| High Court verdict | November 22, 2024 |
| Damages awarded | €248,603.60 |
| Court of Appeal | McGregor’s appeal dismissed on July 31, 2025 |
| Supreme Court | Permission for a further appeal refused on December 4, 2025 |
What the jury decided in November 2024
Hand brought a civil claim against McGregor and Lawrence for damages arising from the alleged assault. The central question concerning McGregor was whether the sexual activity at the Beacon Hotel was consensual. After hearing the evidence, the civil jury found against McGregor and determined that he had assaulted Hand by raping her.
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The jury awarded Hand €248,603.60 in damages. The award was a civil remedy: it compensated the plaintiff under the civil proceedings and did not impose imprisonment or create a criminal conviction.
The jury reached a different conclusion about Lawrence. It rejected Hand’s civil claim that Lawrence had assaulted her after McGregor left. That is the precise legal outcome; it should not be described as a general declaration that Lawrence was “innocent” of every possible allegation.
This was a civil finding, not a criminal conviction
The most important qualification in reporting the case is the distinction between civil liability and criminal guilt. Hand sued for damages in the High Court. A civil jury decided whether McGregor was liable under the civil standard of proof and, if so, what compensation should be awarded.
A criminal prosecution is different. It is brought by the state, not by a private plaintiff, and requires proof beyond reasonable doubt. A criminal conviction can result in penalties such as imprisonment and a criminal record. The civil verdict against McGregor did neither of those things.
Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions had previously decided not to prosecute McGregor or Lawrence in connection with the incident. That decision did not prevent Hand from pursuing a civil action. Nor did it contradict the later civil verdict: the DPP’s decision concerned whether a criminal prosecution should proceed under the criminal process and its higher proof requirements, while the High Court case addressed civil liability and damages.
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Accordingly, accurate descriptions include “a civil jury found McGregor liable for rape” and “a civil jury found that McGregor raped Hand.” It is inaccurate to say that McGregor was convicted of rape on the record described here.
Why McGregor’s appeal failed
McGregor challenged the High Court result in Ireland’s Court of Appeal. His arguments included issues about the jury’s treatment of his repeated “no comment” answers during Garda interviews and the wording or interpretation of the question put to the jury.
One argument focused on the formal wording of the jury question. The question referred to whether McGregor had assaulted Hand rather than repeating the word “rape.” The Court of Appeal rejected the suggestion that this created a realistic ambiguity. It held that the trial judge had explained repeatedly and clearly that the jury was deciding whether McGregor assaulted Hand by raping her.
On July 31, 2025, the Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor’s appeal in its entirety and upheld both the civil finding and the damages award. The court also rejected Lawrence’s separate appeal concerning the refusal to award him legal costs.
What happened to the proposed fresh evidence?
During the appeal process, McGregor’s lawyers withdrew an application to introduce proposed fresh evidence from two former neighbours of Hand. The material was connected to an alternative account of injuries Hand had suffered.
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The Court of Appeal referred aspects of that withdrawn material for consideration of possible perjury-related issues. That development must be described carefully: a referral or consideration of possible issues is not a finding that perjury occurred, and it does not change the verdict that the court upheld in McGregor’s case.
The Supreme Court refused a further appeal
McGregor and Lawrence sought permission to appeal to Ireland’s Supreme Court. On December 4, 2025, the Supreme Court refused permission for either application.
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On the available record as of August 12, 2026, the civil judgment has therefore survived the ordinary Irish appellate route. Saying that the case was “overturned on appeal” is incorrect; the appeal failed, and permission for a further appeal was refused.
Damages, legal costs and the CCTV order
The jury’s damages award was €248,603.60. Separately, the High Court ordered McGregor to pay most of the costs of the civil proceedings. Contemporary reporting estimated those costs at approximately €1.3 million. Later appellate reporting described McGregor’s overall financial exposure, combining damages and costs, as roughly €1.5 million. The costs figure is an estimate reported separately from the jury’s precise damages award.
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In January 2025, the High Court also ordered McGregor not to disseminate CCTV footage used in the proceedings. He was ordered to return or destroy copies in his possession and to provide an affidavit setting out the steps taken. The judge said the footage had been supplied through the discovery process and that unauthorized release could breach court obligations and Hand’s privacy rights.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the final legal position means
- McGregor: Civilly liable after the High Court jury found that he raped Hand; the finding and damages award were upheld on appeal.
- Hand: The plaintiff who won the civil claim against McGregor and received €248,603.60 in damages.
- Lawrence: The jury rejected Hand’s civil claim that he assaulted her. His separate costs issue was also addressed by the Court of Appeal.
- DPP: Previously decided not to bring criminal charges. That decision and the civil verdict arose from different legal processes and proof standards.
- Appeals: The Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor’s appeal on July 31, 2025; the Supreme Court refused permission for a further appeal on December 4, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Conor McGregor convicted of rape?
No. This was a civil action for damages, not a criminal prosecution. The jury found McGregor civilly liable, but the case did not result in a criminal conviction, imprisonment order or criminal record. Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions had previously decided not to prosecute him or James Lawrence.
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How much money was Nikita Hand awarded?
The jury awarded Hand €248,603.60 in damages. The High Court separately ordered McGregor to pay most of the legal costs of the proceedings; contemporary reporting estimated those costs at about €1.3 million.
Did McGregor win his appeal?
Yes. Ireland’s Court of Appeal dismissed McGregor’s appeal in full on July 31, 2025, upholding the civil finding and damages award. The Supreme Court then refused permission for a further appeal on December 4, 2025.
What did the jury decide about James Lawrence?
The jury rejected Hand’s civil claim that Lawrence assaulted her after McGregor left. Lawrence was a separate defendant, and the Court of Appeal also dealt with his separate appeal about the refusal to award him legal costs.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Conor McGregor was found civilly liable for raping Nikita Hand by an Irish High Court jury on November 22, 2024. The €248,603.60 damages award was upheld by the Court of Appeal on July 31, 2025, and Ireland’s Supreme Court refused permission for a further appeal on December 4, 2025. The case did not produce a criminal conviction.
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