Conor McGregor, the Irish mixed martial arts fighter, has been accused of raping a woman in a Dublin hotel, the city's High Court has heard. Nikita Ní Laimhín is seeking civil damages against McGregor and another man, James Lawrence, alleging she was sexually assaulted in December 2018.
McGregor's lawyers have denied the allegations, claiming that Ní Laimhín is attempting extortion. The court heard that Ní Laimhín, a hairdresser, had been out with friends on the night of the alleged incident and later contacted McGregor, who collected her and a friend in his car. They then went to a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel, where the alleged assault took place.
John Gordon SC, representing Ní Laimhín, told the court that McGregor pinned her down on a bed and that she was unable to resist. He described a violent assault, including McGregor allegedly saying, 'Now you know what it was like to be in the Octagon when I went down three times.' The court also heard that Ní Laimhín later had sex with Lawrence, though she has no recollection of this.
After the incident, Ní Laimhín visited her mother, who called 999. She was taken to hospital, where she was found to be shaking and in pain. The trial continues.
