A lady who alleges the Irish combined martial arts fighter Conor McGregor brutally raped her after a Christmas get together six years in the past in Dublin will “at all times be a marked girl” just because she had the braveness to face as much as the fighter, a jury has been advised.
John Gordon, senior counsel for Nikita Hand, also referred to as Nikita Ní Laimhín, advised the eight ladies and 4 males in Dublin’s excessive courtroom they’d been “subjected to boastful, distasteful, dishonest testimony” by the fighter.
In his closing speech to a packed excessive courtroom in Dublin, with McGregor and the plaintiff sitting simply toes away from one another, he described McGregor’s alleged behaviour as savage, cowardly and devious.
He went on to say that McGregor, who denies the rape, had colluded with a pal to concoct a narrative that he and a pal, a co-defendant within the trial, each had consensual intercourse with the hairdresser on the post-party get together on 18 December 2018.
Summing up his argument, he advised the jury McGregor supplied “no reply to his appalling behaviour” and confirmed his true temperament when he launched a “stream of invective” at his consumer throughout cross examination, Gordon stated.
Gordon advised the jury that his consumer lived in concern, and had needed to transfer away from the realm the place she lived however that she wished “vindication” after the director of public prosecutions determined to not press legal costs.
Regardless of the consequence, “she is going to at all times be a marked girl” as a result of she stood as much as McGregor, who’s one in all Eire’s most profitable fighters, estimated to be price $200m, and a widely known determine in Dublin, Gordon stated.
Earlier McGregor’s barrister advised the jury that Hand had give you an elaborate net of “false reminiscences” of a giant night time out so as to cowl up dishonest on her then-partner.
Mr Justice Alexander Owens stated the jury wanted to focus on the proof “from throughout the materials they’ve” regardless of the “two sharply divergent accounts” of the night time on the centre of the trial.
“One facet or one other is telling lies,” he advised them.
The case centres on the occasions of 9 and 10 December in 2018 when Hand admits she and a piece colleague loved a 24-hour ingesting spree involving an prolonged Christmas get together that culminated in assembly up with McGregor and a pal who had been out clubbing in central Dublin on the identical night time.
She claims she was subjected to a brutal assault that left her severely bruised and struggling PTSD.
McGregor denies rape and says that he and Hand had consensual “athletic” intercourse on the night time.
Remy Farrell, senior counsel for McGregor, opened his closing speech by admitting the jury may “detest” the fighter.
“It could be the case some, rather a lot, most of you, have destructive views about Mr McGregor, a few of you could even detest him, there’s no level pretending it could be in any other case. It’s essential I handle that,” Farrell stated.
“You may additionally be unimpressed with a person who leaves household residence on Saturday, goes ingesting with ladies in resort penthouses … they’re all unlikely to endear him to you,” he added.
“I’m not asking you to love him; I’m asking you to have a look at the proof. I’m not asking you to ask him to Sunday lunch, however to interrogate your personal views.
“This case will not be about some type of ‘scorching take’ or not about your intestine or what some color author in a newspaper says it’s about,” he advised them. Nor was it about asking why the director of prosecutions didn’t carry a legal case or in regards to the disappointment felt by Hand.
Farrell advised them that the case was not, as Hand’s lawyer had stated, “about vindication” or “convicting somebody” since you disapprove of their behaviour however about distinguishing info from “curated” reminiscences.
He stated whether or not they present in favour of Hand or McGregor, their verdict could be devastating for each events however they wanted to focus on “islands of info”, which included texts from Hand to her boyfriend stating she was on the town relatively than the penthouse.
He questioned her partial reminiscence and requested whether or not the case would have been introduced in any respect had been it not for McGregor’s fame.
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