Trial Begins for Conor McGregor on Sexual Assault Charges
An Irish hairdresser testified in a Dublin court that MMA fighter Conor McGregor assaulted her at a hotel in December 2018. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A Dublin hairdresser has made serious allegations in court, claiming that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor assaulted her in a hotel room in December 2018.
Nikita Ni Laimhin has initiated civil proceedings against McGregor and his associate James Lawrence, asserting that they sexually assaulted her following a Christmas party. McGregor's legal team has accused her of attempting to extort money from him.
In court, the jury heard from her attorney, John Gordon, who stated that Ni Laimhin contended the two men “in effect raped her.” Gordon further described the hairdresser, who at the time lived in the Dublin suburb of Drimnagh with her partner and their seven-year-old daughter, noting that she had consumed alcohol and “some cocaine” during the night of the alleged assault, and was also taking antidepressants.
According to Gordon, Ni Laimhin was celebrating at her salon with a female friend and reached out to McGregor during the evening. He drove to meet them, sharing “a bag of cocaine” with them before they proceeded to a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel.
Gordon alleged that McGregor entered a bedroom and “came on to” Ni Laimhin, but she declined his advances due to her menstrual cycle. It was at that moment, Gordon claimed, that McGregor “pinned her down” and assaulted her.
“Now you know what it was like to be in the Octagon when I went down three times,” McGregor allegedly remarked after the third instance, with Gordon labeling the encounter as “a violent and vicious assault.”
Upon returning home, Ni Laimhin contacted her mother, who subsequently called for an ambulance. The court also heard from Dr. Daniel Keane, a forensic examiner who was on duty at the Rotunda Hospital's emergency room when Ni Laimhin arrived. He noted that she appeared “very upset” and was “shaking and crying,” while observing “quite unusual” bruising on various parts of her body, including her face, arms, fingers, wrists, legs, and lower back, along with a scratch on her left breast.
“In the face of this, Mr. McGregor will tell you that this was a consensual encounter, that they were just having fun and a bit of rough sex,” Gordon told the jury, challenging McGregor’s defense by stating, “What he is saying is that she gave him a license to carry out what has to have been a brutal assault on her body.”
Gordon emphasized the fame and hero status McGregor holds in Drimnagh, asserting that his client was “brave” for pursuing the compensation she believes she deserves.
McGregor's legal representatives have yet to present their defense, but filed a statement with the court indicating they plan to argue that Ni Laimhin was involved in attempted extortion.
The high-profile MMA fighter has previously expressed ambitions of running for the presidency of Ireland in 2025, considering himself the “only logical choice” to hold accountable the “thieves of the working man” and “disrupters of the family unit” currently in charge.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Nikita Ni Laimhin has initiated civil proceedings against McGregor and his associate James Lawrence, asserting that they sexually assaulted her following a Christmas party. McGregor's legal team has accused her of attempting to extort money from him.
In court, the jury heard from her attorney, John Gordon, who stated that Ni Laimhin contended the two men “in effect raped her.” Gordon further described the hairdresser, who at the time lived in the Dublin suburb of Drimnagh with her partner and their seven-year-old daughter, noting that she had consumed alcohol and “some cocaine” during the night of the alleged assault, and was also taking antidepressants.
According to Gordon, Ni Laimhin was celebrating at her salon with a female friend and reached out to McGregor during the evening. He drove to meet them, sharing “a bag of cocaine” with them before they proceeded to a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel.
Gordon alleged that McGregor entered a bedroom and “came on to” Ni Laimhin, but she declined his advances due to her menstrual cycle. It was at that moment, Gordon claimed, that McGregor “pinned her down” and assaulted her.
“Now you know what it was like to be in the Octagon when I went down three times,” McGregor allegedly remarked after the third instance, with Gordon labeling the encounter as “a violent and vicious assault.”
Upon returning home, Ni Laimhin contacted her mother, who subsequently called for an ambulance. The court also heard from Dr. Daniel Keane, a forensic examiner who was on duty at the Rotunda Hospital's emergency room when Ni Laimhin arrived. He noted that she appeared “very upset” and was “shaking and crying,” while observing “quite unusual” bruising on various parts of her body, including her face, arms, fingers, wrists, legs, and lower back, along with a scratch on her left breast.
“In the face of this, Mr. McGregor will tell you that this was a consensual encounter, that they were just having fun and a bit of rough sex,” Gordon told the jury, challenging McGregor’s defense by stating, “What he is saying is that she gave him a license to carry out what has to have been a brutal assault on her body.”
Gordon emphasized the fame and hero status McGregor holds in Drimnagh, asserting that his client was “brave” for pursuing the compensation she believes she deserves.
McGregor's legal representatives have yet to present their defense, but filed a statement with the court indicating they plan to argue that Ni Laimhin was involved in attempted extortion.
The high-profile MMA fighter has previously expressed ambitions of running for the presidency of Ireland in 2025, considering himself the “only logical choice” to hold accountable the “thieves of the working man” and “disrupters of the family unit” currently in charge.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
