Conor McGregor ‘petrified’ during police interviews about alleged rape

Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor said he replied “no comment” to more than 100 questions during police interviews about allegations he raped a woman in a Dublin hotel because he was “beyond petrified”.

Mr McGregor, who is facing an accusation in the civil action that he “brutally raped and battered” Nikita Hand, is being cross-examined in the High Court on Thursday.

He has previously told the court he had consensual sex with Ms Hand in a penthouse in the Beacon Hotel.

Ms Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, is also suing another man, James Lawrence, for sexual assault on December 9 2018.

Ms Hand, who has no automatic right to anonymity, has accused Mr McGregor of pinning her to a bed and raping her in a hotel bedroom in south Dublin.

The court was told that Mr McGregor read out a pre-prepared statement to gardai when he was questioned about the alleged rape on January 17, 2019.

Following the statement, Mr McGregor was asked more than 100 follow-up questions by police, to which he replied “no comment”.

Mr McGregor repeatedly stated he was acting on advice from his solicitor, adding he told his lawyers his story and gave his series of the events.

Asked why he replied “no comment” to every question, Mr McGregor said it was the first time he was interviewed by gardai and “was beyond petrified”.

“I would have loved to go the top of a mountain with a microphone and shout from the hilltops about the series of allegations,” Mr McGregor added.

He told the court that he felt he was co-operative with police during the interviews, adding he was “nervous” and it was “alien” to him .

“It is the first time it has happened to me in my life,” he continued.

He said he was in court to speak his case.

“These allegations are false and I have come out here, and say my piece and say my truth.”

Mr McGregor also admitted to the court that he took cocaine while he was in the car with Mr Lawrence, Ms Hand and her work colleague Danille Kealy as they travelled to the Beacon Hotel.

He rejected an assertion that he had took the bag of cocaine when he left Mr Lawrence’s house and returned to the two women, who were waiting in his car.

He said it was a “small piece” of cocaine.

It also emerged that Mr McGregor has paid for Mr Lawrence’s solicitor’s fees.

When first asked by John Gordon SC, for Ms Hand, if he paid for his friend’s legal fees, Mr McGregor replied: “I don’t recall.”

Mr McGregor went on to say that Mr Lawrence was his friend and would not have been able to pay the fees.

Asked again did he pay Mr Lawrence’s legal fees, Mr McGregor replied, “possibly” and later, “I am not a million per cent”.

Mr McGregor said he gets “staggering legal fees” among the “lies” put forward.

Asked again, he replied: “I believe I did.”