BREAKING NEWS: Why Conor McGregor Avoids Prison Despite Losing Assault Case .giang

Conor McGregor will not go to prison despite being found liable for the rape of a woman in a Dublin hotel.

Following a two-week trial which featured eight days of evidence at Dublin High Court, a jury of eight men and four women decided McGregor had sexually assaulted Nikita Ni Laimhin, also known as Nikita Hand. Ms Hand sued McGregor for sexual assault following an encounter in December 2018.

Ms. Hand accused the 35-year-old of leaving her “brutally raped and battered” and, in an emotional testimony, she claimed to have been put in a chokehold by the former UFC champion multiple times. She tearfully revealed she feared she would never see her daughter again, and said she feared for her life.

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McGregor confessed to taking cocaine with Ms. Hand, and admitted to going to the home of his friend, James Lawrence, to convince him to return to the Beacon Hotel with himself, Ms Hand, and another woman who did not allege any wrongdoing. Lawrence was also accused of sexually assaulting Ms Hand, but the jury determined he had not assaulted her.

McGregor had testified that he never forced Ms. Hand to do anything against her will and fabricated the allegations following consensual sex. Once the highest-earning sportsperson in the world, he denied all accusations and described the encounter as “enthusiastic, athletic, prolonged and vigorous.”

It took six hours and 10 minutes for the decision to be reached, and McGregor will have to pay $257,000 in damages – but he will not face prison time. The trial was a civil case, with Ireland’s Director of Public Prosecutions deciding not to criminally charge the Irishman or Mr. Lawrence after police investigated Ms. Hand’s allegations.

The jury heard how Ms Hand grew concerned after the incident over a tampon which had become stuck inside her due to the nature of the assault. Advanced paramedic Eithne Scully testified she had seen Ms Hand after the incident, and had never seen someone with bruising so intense.

She was taken to a rape crisis center after Ms Sculley’s colleague, Neil Dempsey, had assessed her and noticed bruising on her neck. Ms. Hand was visibly emotional during the delivery of the verdict and addressed the media outside the courthouse.

In a heartfelt statement, Ms. Hand addressed the media and thanked her family, friends, and all the supporters who reached out to her during the ordeal. She then concluded with an emotional message in support of any victims.

“To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that you have a voice and to keep on fighting for justice,” she said. “I know this has impacted my life, my daughter’s, my family and friends’ tremendously and it is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. But now that justice has been served I can now try and move on and look forward to the future with my family, friends, and daughter.”