A civil jury in Ireland on Friday found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying.
The Dublin jury awarded the woman nearly 250,000 Euros (US$257,000) for her lawsuit that claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her Dec. 9, 2018, leaving her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
McGregor testified that he never forced her to do anything and that the woman had fabricated her allegations after the two had consensual sex.
The woman’s lawyer said she never pretended to be a saint and had gone out looking for a good time that ended up turning into a nightmare.
Attorney John Gordon said McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client.
“He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” Gordon told jurors. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.”
The woman had to take several breaks in her emotional testimony as she said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter.
McGregor put her in a choke hold several times and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to an Ultimate Fighting Championship when he had to admit defeat, she said.
She feared she would die and never see her daughter again.
“He let me go and I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she said.
She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her.
Police investigated the woman’s complaint, but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely.
McGregor said the two had sex that was athletic and vigorous, but not rough. He said “she never said `no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie.
“It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.”
McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter.
“You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him — there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.”
The defence said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.”
McGregor said that when he was first questioned by police, he read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up.
Resources for sexual assault survivors in Canada
If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety, you should call 911.
A full list of sexual assault centres in Canada that offer information, advocacy and counselling can be found on the website for the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres.
Helplines, legal services and locations that offer sexual assault kits in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, Ontario and Nova Scotia can be found here.
National Residential School Crisis Line: +1 866 925 4419
24-hour crisis line: 416 597 8808
Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: +1 833 900 1010
Trans Lifeline: +1 877 330 6366
Sexual misconduct support for current or former members of the Armed Forces: +1 844 750 1648
Read about your rights as a victim here.