Conor McGregor ordered to pay Nikita Hand’s costs in civil rape case

Nikita Hand has been awarded costs in her civil action against Conor McGregor, after a jury found she had been raped by the mixed martial arts fighter in Dublin six years ago.

A judge in the High Court also ruled that James Lawrence, from whom she also sought damages for assault, but lost, cannot claim his costs against her.

The costs were made on a party-party basis, and not on the higher solicitor and client costs basis.

This means that Ms Hand will pay her own costs in relation to her civil case against Mr Lawrence, and Mr McGregor will have to pay the full costs of his side of the case.

Justice Alex Owens said that he made the decision after the defence put forward by Mr McGregor, in which he relied on what Mr Lawrence claimed had happened on the day and night of the incident.

Ms Hand, 35, from Dublin, was awarded almost €250,000 in damages against Mr McGregor, after a three-week civil trial last month.

Earlier, a lawyer for Ms Hand urged the High Court judge to order Mr McGregor to pay the entire costs of her civil action.

Warranted

John Gordon SC, for Ms Hand, said the conduct of Mr McGregor before, during and after the trial warranted him paying the entire costs of the proceedings.

Mr Gordon has made an application that Mr McGregor pay solicitor and own-client costs, which would cover his own as well as costs relating to Mr Lawrence.

It emerged during the case that Mr McGregor had been paying the legal costs of his friend.

The court was urged to take into consideration that Mr McGregor had, after the verdict, made a series of social media posts, in which he described the court as a “kangaroo court”.

Mr Gordon said this was a “direct insult” to the jury.

He also said that the “direct criticism” of the jury should not go unremarked and should be considered as part of costs.

Most unsatisfactory

Justice Owens said it was “most unsatisfactory” that a litigant would attack the jury and accused them of disregarding the court rules.

Mr Gordon said that as the jury found against Mr McGregor, it shows that they did not believe Mr Lawrence.

However, Remy Farrell SC, for Mr McGregor, rejected the application, saying that the court does not have a wide discretion, as asserted by Mr Gordon, to award costs.

He said it should be done in the normal way, that costs the event.

John Fitzgerald SC, for Mr Lawrence, said his client was not involved in some “grand conspiracy theory” against Ms Hand and said the court was being asked to become the 13th juror in the case.