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Woman wins civil rape case against Conor McGregor

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A woman who accused Conor McGregor of raping her has won her claim against him for damages in a civil case.

A jury found that the Irish mixed martial arts fighter assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018.

He has been ordered to pay her more than €248,000 (£206,000) in damages.

Speaking outside the court on Friday, Ms Hand said her story was “a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be to speak up, you have a voice”.

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In a post on X on Friday evening, McGregor said he would appeal against the verdict and he thanked “all my support worldwide”.

“I am with my family now, focused on my future” he added.

Nikita Hand said she was “overwhelmed” by support after taking the case against McGregor

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

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She had also taken a case against another man, James Lawrence, 35, of Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh in Dublin.

She alleged that he assaulted her by having sex with her without her consent in the Beacon Hotel.

The jury found that he did not assault her.

‘Justice will be served’

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Ms Hand told reporters said she was “overwhelmed and touched” by the support she had received.

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.”

Both men had denied the claims by the 35-year-old hair colourist and said they separately had consensual sex with Ms Hand at the hotel almost six years ago.

After eight days of evidence and three days listening to closing speeches and the judge’s comments, the jury of eight women and four men spent six hours and 10 minutes deliberating before returning with its verdict.

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McGregor shook his head after the jury read out that Ms Hand had won her case against him.

He was accompanied by his partner Dee Devlin, his parents, his sister and his brother-in-law.

He sat in the back row of the court, between his partner and mother Margaret.

Ms Hand cried and was hugged by her partner and supporters.

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The jury had previously heard that on the day of the attack Ms Hand and her colleague Danielle Kealy went to the hotel’s penthouse suite with McGregor and Mr Lawrence after their work Christmas party.

They gave evidence of how they had been partying all night from 8 December into the morning of 9 December and had been heavily drinking and taking cocaine.

‘Placed in a chokehold’

Ms Hand, a mother-of-one, told the court how McGregor had pinned her to a bed before assaulting her.

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She was left with extensive bruises and abrasions over her body, including on her hands and wrists.

There was a bloodied scratch on her breast and tenderness on her neck after she said she was placed in a “chokehold” by McGregor.

He denied causing the bruising, saying it could have happened after she “swan dived” into the bath in the hotel room.

Ms Hand was taken in an ambulance to the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin the next day where she was assessed in the sexual assault treatment unit.

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A paramedic who examined Ms Hand told the court that she had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time.

The jury had been told how Ms Hand had to leave her job as a hairdresser and has not been able to work since due to her mental health, that her relationship with her partner ended months after the incident, that she had to move out of her home in Drimnagh and that her mortgage was now in arrears.

She also said she had to stop seeing a counsellor because she could no longer afford to pay for the sessions.

The court heard that she had spent more than €4,000 (£3,326) on GP, pharmacy and psychotherapy costs.

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Credit: BBC

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Premier League: Brentford Humble Tottenham, Everton, Leeds, Ipswich Start With Wins

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Big-spending Tottenham Hotspur made a nightmare start to the new Premier League season after Brentford swept them aside in a convincing 3-0 win at the Gtech Community Stadium earlier today, August 22.

Spurs, who spent about £237 million this summer and broke their transfer record twice in a bid to avoid a repeat of last season’s struggles, handed debuts to four new signings in west London. Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke and club-record £100m signing Sandro Tonali all started.

However, Brentford tore through Roberto De Zerbi’s side from the opening stages.

Keane Lewis-Potter gave the home side the lead in the 12th minute after Mamadou Sangare picked him out unmarked inside the area. Brentford’s club-record summer signing continued to impress as the hosts controlled the match.

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The Bees doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when Vitaly Janelt tapped home after Antonin Kinsky had saved Mathias Jensen’s effort.

Tottenham failed to register a shot on target in the first half, prompting De Zerbi to make a double change in the second half. He introduced £85m signing Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur for Conor Gallagher and Lucas Bergvall.

The changes failed to alter the pattern of the game as Michael Kayode added Brentford’s third after Sangare’s effort fell into his path following a save by Kinsky.

Brentford almost made it four when Michael Oliver awarded a penalty for Bentancur’s foul on Kevin Schade. Igor Thiago, however, struck the post from the spot.

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Earlier in the day, Everton recovered from an early scare to beat Crystal Palace 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, securing their first opening-day Premier League win in five years.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scored either side of half-time to give David Moyes’ side their earliest win in a new campaign since August 2021. The win also ended a seven-match winless run from the end of last season.

Crystal Palace began life under new manager Pierre Sage without last season’s top scorer Ismaila Sarr, who missed the travelling squad amid links with Galatasaray.

The visitors created early chances through Eddie Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta, while both players later struck the woodwork.

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Everton made Palace pay three minutes before half-time when Dewsbury-Hall fired into the far corner. Barry doubled the lead eight minutes after the restart, heading in Iliman Ndiaye’s cross from close range.

Palace’s difficult afternoon worsened when defender Chadi Riad left the pitch on a stretcher with an apparent serious knee injury.

At the City Ground, Oliver Glasner’s reign as Nottingham Forest manager began with a 1-0 defeat to Leeds United.

Anton Stach scored the decisive goal directly from a free-kick with two minutes remaining after Nikola Milenkovic fouled him.

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The match remained finely balanced for much of the afternoon, with set-pieces creating most of the danger. Harry Wilson had a Leeds goal ruled out for offside, while Forest defender Jair Cunha hit the post before half-time.

Igor Jesus headed wide for the hosts after the break, while Matz Sels denied Tarik Muharemovic as Leeds pushed for a breakthrough.

Stach finally delivered it in the closing stages, beating Sels at the near post to give Leeds a winning start to the campaign and hand Glasner a painful opening defeat.

Ipswich Town also celebrated a winning return to the Premier League as substitute Jack Clarke struck a 90th-minute winner against his former club Sunderland at Portman Road.

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Ipswich took the lead in the 24th minute when Julio Enciso intercepted a pass, carried the ball forward and squared for summer signing Emersonn to score.

Sunderland hit back six minutes before half-time through Nilson Angulo, whose curling free-kick struck the crossbar before going in.

With the game heading towards a draw, former Sunderland winger Clarke curled the ball into the far bottom corner to secure a dramatic 2-1 victory for Ipswich.

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Arsenal slam Coventry 3-0 in premier league’s first game

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Arsenal hammered Coventry City 3-0 in the first game of this Premier League season on Friday night.

The Gunners have begun the defence of their title with maximum points at the Emirates.

First-half goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put the reigning champions firmly in control, and captain Martin Odegaard added a third soon after the restart to seal a comfortable win on the opening day of the campaign.

Arsenal were without their new signing Bruno Guimaraes because of an injury, but another of the summer arrivals, Christos Tzolis, had provided the early spark, cutting in from the left before curling a shot over five minutes in.

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The Greek winger also played a part in Arsenal’s opener, but it was a familiar face who found the breakthrough, as Havertz, starting ahead of Viktor Gyokeres, turned in Riccardo Calafiori’s low cross after 15 minutes.

It was 2-0 eight minutes later when Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth could only palm Tzolis’ low delivery into the feet of Saka and the England international fired into the unguarded goal.

Odegaard added a third four minutes into the second half, receiving a pass from Ben White and beating Rushworth, albeit with a scuffed finish.

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Aston Villa Sign Wan-Bissaka on Season-Long Loan

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Aston Villa have completed the signing of West Ham United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka on a season-long loan deal that includes a conditional obligation to buy.

The 28-year-old DR Congo international joins Unai Emery’s side after Villa and West Ham reached an agreement over the transfer.

The specific conditions attached to the potential permanent move have not been disclosed, although West Ham had previously valued the right-back at around £25 million.

Wan-Bissaka was absent from West Ham’s opening two Championship fixtures of the season as negotiations over his return to the Premier League continued.

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He joined West Ham from Manchester United in 2024 on a seven-year contract and made 65 appearances for the club across two seasons. He featured 25 times last season as the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League.

Villa are hoping Wan-Bissaka’s experience will bolster their defence as they prepare for a demanding campaign that includes both Premier League and Champions League football.

The defender made 190 appearances for Manchester United, winning the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.

He also started all four of DR Congo’s matches at the 2026 World Cup, where the Leopards reached the round of 32.

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Villa’s agreement with West Ham bears similarities to the club’s loan deal for Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott last season. Elliott arrived with a £35 million obligation to buy that was dependent on him making 10 league appearances. However, he made only four appearances before returning to Liverpool this summer.

Wan-Bissaka could make his Aston Villa debut against Brighton on Sunday, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm BST.

His arrival also adds defensive depth to Emery’s squad as Villa prepare to compete in the Champions League after finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the Europa League last season.

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