The Dublin woman who won €248,603 in damages from mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor in a rape civil action had to move from her home after a group of men in balaclavas broke into her house and stabbed her partner in June.
Details of the break-in and attack were disclosed early in the High Court civil action that Nikita Hand took against McGregor, claiming that he raped her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.
The break-in could not be reported at the time as it was disclosed in court in the absence of the jury.
The Irish Times understands that the attack remains under investigation by the Garda.
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Jurors heard during the trial that Ms Hand was claiming for the costs of relocating and buying a house outside the Drimnagh area, but they did not learn the reasons for this claim during the trial.
During the trial, there was a brief reference by Ms Hand’s doctor, Frank Clarke, who testified that she moved away from the area because of “something that happened”.
The lawyer for Ms Hand, Ray Boland SC, told the court on the first day of the trial, in the absence of the jury, that on the night of June 14th, 2024, Ms Hand’s home was “invaded” by a group of masked men who burst into her bedroom, but were “put off” by her partner who suffered stab wounds.
Mr Boland said her side were not saying that Mr McGregor had anything to do with the incident, but that it was “a targeted attack and arose from supporters of him”, and related to Ms Hand’s claim she had to move from the Drimnagh area as a result of her case against him.
Remy Farrell SC, for Mr McGregor, said the claim of entitlement to special damages over having to move house was “novel”. It seemed Ms Hand was acknowledging the incident in June had nothing to do with his client and it was “extraordinary to try to smuggle such a claim into the case”.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens said the matter was “completely and utterly irrelevant” and should not be put to the jury.
In evidence during the High Court case, Ms Hand expressed unease about continuing to live in Drimnagh and that she no longer lived in a house in the south Dublin suburb, valued at €430,000, which she bought with her former partner before the assault.
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