### Jury Awards €250,000 Damages to Woman in McGregor Assault Case

A high-profile legal battle involving mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor took a dramatic turn as it was unveiled that a group of masked men broke into the home of Nikita Hand, the woman accusing McGregor of rape. This incident, which occurred on June 14, only came to light now after it was discussed during a legal proceeding when the jury was not present.

Nikita Hand had alleged that McGregor assaulted her in December 2018, a claim which was later corroborated by a jury in the high court of Ireland. The court awarded Hand nearly €250,000 (£208,000) in damages following their decision last Friday.

The court heard startling details about the break-in at Hand's residence. Unknown intruders, wearing balaclavas, vandalized her home and injured her boyfriend as he attempted to fend them off. Hand's legal counsel, John Gordon, clarified that there was no suggestion McGregor orchestrated the attack. However, he implied that this incident contributed to Hand's significant anxiety, prompting her to relocate from the Drimnagh area in Dublin.

"The plaintiff's home was invaded by a group of men wearing balaclavas," Gordon stated. "They broke into the plaintiff's bedroom and her partner, who suffered a stab wound, drove them out. Her daughter was in the next room, sleeping."

Gordon emphasized that the attack was not random but seems to have been triggered by Hand's lawsuit against McGregor. Despite this claim, McGregor's barrister, Remy Farrell, argued that the break-in was irrelevant to the case and warned against inviting the jury to speculate. The judge agreed, ruling out the incident as irrelevant to the trial.

A Garda spokesperson confirmed that an investigation was ongoing, with a man receiving hospital treatment for non life-threatening injuries following the intrusion.

In reaction to the court's decision, McGregor, who denied all allegations, announced his intention to appeal. He described the awarded damages as "modest" and expressed disappointment over the jury not hearing all evidence reviewed by Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who had previously decided not to pursue a conviction in 2020.

McGregor had been accused of brutally raping and battering Hand in a south Dublin hotel in December 2018, though he maintained that their interaction was consensual.

The case has been pivotal in emphasizing the legal interpretation of "consent." The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre highlighted the significance of Judge Owens' closing remarks to the jury, which clearly distinguished between submission and consent, and stressed that neither drinking nor taking drugs implies consent.

Ireland's Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, praised Hand's bravery, stating, "Because of wonderful people like Nikita, I hope that it shows there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there are supports available to people, and that there is justice at the end of the day.”