Conor McGregor denies it was ‘in his mind’ a friend ‘might take the fall’ over woman’s claim he raped her in a Dublin hotel

Conor McGregor has denied a suggestion it was in his mind that a male friend “might take the fall” and be “the patsy” in relation to allegations by a woman she was raped by the MMA fighter in a Dublin hotel, a High Court jury has heard.
Mr McGregor said he had not “colluded” with James Lawrence in relation to his response to claims by Nikita Hand.
He said he believed he had paid legal fees for Mr Lawrence in relation to a civil action for damages for alleged sexual assault brought by Ms Hand against Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence. Mr Lawrence is his friend and would not have the funds for the case, he said.
The cross-examination of Mr McGregor resumed on Thursday in the action for damages by Ms Hand, a 35-year-old hair colourist, against the professional mixed martial arts fighter and another man, James Lawrence, of Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh.
Both men deny separate sexual assaults of Ms Hand on December 9th, 2018 at the Beacon hotel and have pleaded they had consensual sex with Ms Hand.
The jury of eight women and four men has heard Ms Hand and a work colleague, Danielle Kealey, were partying from the evening of December 8th into the morning of December 9th. Ms Hand said she had been drinking alcohol and had taken cocaine.
The jury has heard both women were picked up in Mr McGregor’s car about 10.15am on December 9th, that Mr Lawrence was picked up some time after, and all four arrived at the hotel about 12.30pm on December 9th.
CCTV footage showed Mr McGregor and Ms Kealey leaving the hotel about 6.13pm and Ms Hand and Mr Lawrence leaving about 10.30pm.
Ms Hand said in evidence she had been raped by Mr McGregor in the hotel. She said she had no memory of having sex with Mr Lawrence after Mr McGregor left the hotel.
The jury heard Ms Hand was referred to the Rotunda hospital’s sexual assault unit on December 10th and she made a statement to gardaí on January 9th.
After Ms Hand’s case concluded on Wednesday, Mr McGregor began his evidence.
He said he had “fully consensual” and “energetic” sex with Ms Hand in the Beacon hotel and described Ms Hand’s evidence about their encounter as “full of lies”. He said he was shocked when shown photos of bruising on Ms Hand and said he had not caused the bruises.
The court was packed on Thursday when the cross-examination of Mr McGregor resumed before Mr Justice Alexander Owens. Ms Hand was in court with her partner and Mr McGregor’s father Tony accompanied his son.
Mr McGregor was asked by Mr Gordon about interviews with gardaí, including a first interview on January 17th, 2019 at Dundrum Garda station when Mr McGregor was accompanied by his solicitor.
Mr McGregor agreed he provided a statement on that date. He agreed it had been prearranged with gardaí he would come into the station and make a statement.
He agreed there was a written statement and said that was in his solicitor’s handwriting, not his.
After he was asked, and agreed, he had answered some questions on January 17th, 2019 with the words “no comment”, legal discussion began in the absence of the jury.
When the case resumed before the jury at 11.40am, Mr McGregor was asked had he answered “no comment” to every question he was asked on January 17th, 2019.
He said he had taken legal advice, this was the first time something like this had happened in his life, he was in an alien situation, and he was “beyond petrified”.
He had gone to his lawyers’ office and told them his version of events and taken their advice. He agreed he had said no comment to questions.
Counsel said he had said no comment to more than 100 questions.
The judge told the jury that Mr McGregor is perfectly entitled to say no comment on the advice of his lawyers. Everyone is entitled to and the jury cannot draw any adverse inference about his saying no comment, the judge said.
In response to counsel, Mr McGregor agreed his statement to gardaí, in which he denied rape of Ms Hand, was quite short.
He said he “would have loved to go to the top of the mountain and shout it from the hilltops” but the seriousness of the allegation was such he went to lawyers and took their advice.
He said he felt he was as good as co-operative with gardaí, he was given advice, he did not know what to do, he said. “It was all alien to me,” he said. “These allegations are false and I had to come out here to say my piece and say my truth, these allegations against me are false.”
Mr Gordon read a statement made by Mr McGregor in which he said, among other things, he had “physical” sex with Ms Hand in the hotel.
The statement said: “We were both enjoying ourselves and having a good time.” It said he fell asleep, Ms Hand was pulling at him to wake up, eventually he did and they had sex again.
The statement said she was “enjoying it and moaning with pleasure” and that he ejaculated at least once.
In his statement, he said he was shocked that this allegation had been made by Ms Hand. “It is completely false and I deny it”.
Mr McGregor agreed he was shown photos of Ms Hand with bruises and had said he was shocked by those. He agreed he had said maybe Ms Hand had sex with someone else.
His story has never waned in six years while Ms Hand’s story has, he said.
He agreed he had made a reference to Mr Lawrence having sex with Ms Hand in a later statement on January 18th, 2019.
Asked was it in his mind that Mr Lawrence might be “the patsy” and “might take the fall” for him, he said no.
He said he did not cause the bruises on Ms Hand and, having been shown the photos, he had asked after been shown them whether she had sex with someone else. It seemed she did have sex with someone else on the evening in question, he said.
“Your client had sexual relations with multiple people, multiple times throughout that day,” he said to counsel.
When Mr Gordon asked with whom, Mr McGregor said himself and Mr Lawrence that he “was aware of”. He did not know whether she had sex with other people at other venues, he said.
Pressed on the matter, he said “she definitely had sex with two people”. He was not suggesting she had sex with more than two, he said. “I don’t know.”
He disagreed he had had a discussion with Mr Lawrence “how to play this”.
Asked had he paid Mr Lawrence’s lawyers’ fees in this case, he said that was “quite possible”, Mr Lawrence is his friend and he would not have the funds for the law, he said.
Asked by the judge did he pay for Mr Lawrence’s fees or not, he said: “I believe I did.”
He said there was no “colluding” between himself and Mr Lawrence.
Asked about medical evidence that a tampon was wedged in Ms Hand’s vagina and was removed with a forceps, he said it was broad daylight and there was no tampon.
Mr Gordon suggested the reason he would hire hotel rooms at night was to bring girls back for sex. He said no, he would use hotels for parties or to get himself rested.
In re-examination, Mr McGregor agreed that he had been cautioned prior to interviews with gardaí.
He agreed he was told at a later Garda interview that inferences could be taken if he remained silent and that it was after that he had said he believed Mr Lawrence had had sex with Ms Hand.
Mr McGregor’s evidence has now concluded.