Friend denies he is the ‘fall guy’ for Conor McGregor in rape case

A friend of Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has denied a suggestion he would be the “fall guy” and be “the patsy” in relation to allegations by a woman that she was raped by the sports star, a court in Dublin heard.

Mr McGregor, who is facing an accusation in the civil action that he “brutally raped and battered” Nikita Hand, was 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.

Mr McGregor told the court on Thursday that he had not “colluded” with Mr Lawrence following claims made by Ms Hand.

Mr McGregor also told the jury that he replied “no comment” to more than 100 questions during police interviews about the allegations because he was “beyond petrified”.

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

Mr Lawrence rejected assertions by John Gordon SC, for Ms Hand, that he was the “fall guy”, with Mr Lawrence saying “what man would put themselves up for the rape of a woman”.

He said he comes from a family of women and would not stand up for any man doing anything to a woman.

Mr Lawrence told the court that on the day of the alleged rape, he had sex three times with Ms Hand’s friend, Danielle Kealy, while Ms Hand and Mr McGregor were also having sex.

That claim was previously denied by Ms Kealy, who told the court on Wednesday that she had sex once with Mr Lawrence.

The jury of four men and eight women heard evidence from Mr Lawrence that he heard “sex noises” coming from the room where Ms Hand and Mr McGregor were, and that he heard Ms Hand “moaning”.

He further claimed he later saw Ms Hand on top of Mr McGregor having sex with him for a second time.

“She had nothing on her at the time. She was completely naked on top of Conor,” he told the court.

Mr Lawrence said Ms Hand had been “flirtatious” with Mr McGregor as they travelled to the Beacon Hotel and in the lift to the bedroom. He also said she had followed Mr McGregor into the bedroom.

The court also heard claims that after Mr McGregor left the hotel, Ms Hand then made advances towards Mr Lawrence.

He said she was “pulling” at him, “kissing me ear, slapping my arse and biting my ear”.

“I rejected her and I rejected her 14 times. She was chasing me around the lift,” he said.

“It was all her pushing me.”

He said he felt “peer pressured” into having sex with her.

“You might not believe me because I’m a man but that’s how it was,” he added.

Mr Lawrence claimed he and Ms Hand then had sex twice in the penthouse bedroom.

In his evidence, he said he did not see any bruises on Ms Hand except a small bruise on either her leg or arm.

“I didn’t cause any bruises,” he said.

“I don’t know where she got the bruises from.”

The court was also 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 to 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 Ms 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 Mr Gordon 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 if he paid 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.”

The case continues.