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Conor McGregor ordered to pay Nikita Hand's legal costs

PA Media McGregor is wearing a navy suit with a white shirt and dark coloured tie. He has a thick brown beard and short brown hair. He has a straight face looking directly at the camera.PA Media
McGregor denied all of the allegations

A judge has ruled that MMA star Conor McGregor must pay the legal costs of a woman who accused him of raping her.

A jury found McGregor liable for assault in a civil case taken by Nikita Hand and ordered him to pay Ms Hand almost €250,000 (£207,000) in damages.

He has now been told to pay her legal costs in a further hearing on Thursday.

James Lawrence, of Rafter's Road, Drimnagh in Dublin, who was also accused of rape by Ms Hand but found not liable - will not be awarded any costs.

The judge said it was a "singular and peculiar case" and may bring proceedings against McGregor for social media posts.

McGregor, who had denied the allegations, has already said he will appeal.

'Direct insult to the jury'

Ms Hand's solicitor said the conduct of McGregor before, during and after the trial warranted him paying the entire costs of the proceedings.

The extent of the costs is not yet known - but Ms Hand was not awarded the maximum level of costs that her legal team had requested.

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

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

The lawyer 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.

The judge said it was "most unsatisfactory" that a litigant would attack the jury and accused him of disregarding the court rules.

McGregor's lawyer rejected the application, saying that the court does not have a wide discretion, as asserted by Ms Hand's lawyer, to award costs.

Mr Lawrence's lawyer, 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.

Civil action

In a Republic of Ireland civil action - as opposed to a criminal case - neither the complainant nor the accused are entitled to automatic anonymity during the court proceedings.

The jury at the High Court in Dublin had been deliberating for a day before returning its verdict that McGregor did assault Ms Hand.

PA/Brian Lawless A woman outside court, she is wearing a white shirt and black blazer. She has blonde hairPA/Brian Lawless
Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, speaking to the media outside the High Court in Dublin after the case

After Ms Hand won her claim against McGregor for damages in a civil case, she told reporters said she was "overwhelmed and touched" by the support she had received following the jury's decision.

She added: "I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other young girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be served."