Sports

Woman wins civil rape case against Conor McGregor

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

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”.

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.

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’

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Credit: BBC

Sports

Manchester City lose major premier league vote

Published

22 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Naijablitznews

The Premier League have approved changes to Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules after a crunch summit.

On Friday morning, top-flight sides gathered in London before voting in a ballot over the Premier League rules.

The competition had been forced to act after an independent panel found sections of the existing rules on associated party transactions (APTs) – deals between clubs and parties linked to their owners – to be unlawful after a legal challenge from City.

However, the champions called on clubs to vote against the amendments, accused the Premier League of rushing its consultation and raised the prospect of further legal action should they be enforced.

Yet the Premier League champions were dealt a blow after the English top-flight voted to approve the changes to ATP rules.

More shortly…

Sports

Boxing world split as 58-yr-old Tyson goes back to ring 19yrs after retirement

Published

1 week ago

November 14, 2024

Austin Ojomah

Nearly 40 years after his professional debut, and 19 years after retiring, 58-year-old Mike Tyson will return to the ring on Friday in a Netflix-backed bout that has stirred widespread condemnation in the boxing world.

Tyson, who dominated the heavyweight division in the late 1980s, will lace up the gloves once more to face YouTuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.

The bout, set for eight two-minute rounds, was initially scheduled for July but was postponed in May when Tyson required medical treatment after vomiting blood on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles due to a bleeding ulcer.

The incident has fuelled criticism of Friday’s fight, with many condemning it as a macabre spectacle that poses undue risk for Tyson, who last appeared in a professional ring in 2005, ending in a technical knockout loss after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.

‘It Shouldn’t Be Happening’

“Mike Tyson retired from boxing 20 years ago and was already worn out,” British promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.

“If anyone thinks Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no concern for him, or you’re being reckless. This shouldn’t be happening.” Punch

Sports

Premier League official Coote suspended

Published

2 weeks ago

November 12, 2024

Austin Ojomah

Premier League official David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect by PGMOL

A video, which remains unverified, appearing to show Coote making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp was widely circulated on social media on Monday.

• David Coote first refereed a game in the Premier League in April 2018
• Coote was born in Nottinghamshire and previously officiated in the Football League.
• Coote is registered as a Notts County fan with PGMOL
• He refereed the Carabao Cup final between Manchester United and Newcastle in 2023

A PGMOL statement read: “David Coote has been suspended with immediate effect pending a full investigation.

“PGMOL will be making no further comment until that process is complete.”
Coote was the referee for Liverpool’s win over Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday night.

According to Sky Sports, Liverpool have declined to comment.
Head of referees Howard Webb will be appearing on Match Officials: Mic’d Up on Tuesday night on Sky Sportskeeda
A video being shared appears to refer to the Premier League match between Liverpool – who were already crowned champions – and Burnley, which Coote refereed, in July 2020.
The game finished 1-1 after Jay Rodriguez’s strike cancelled out Andy Robertson’s opener, ending Liverpool’s 24-match winning run at Anfield.

At full-time, Klopp appeared to argue with Coote and his officials on the pitch, and after the match, the former Reds boss said the referee failed to give fouls for challenges made on Liverpool’s players.

“David Coote appears to be speaking directly to a camera phone and appears to go on to make a number of derogatory comments about Liverpool Football Club and their former manager Jurgen Klopp.

“We don’t know if this video is genuine or not at this stage, and neither do PGMOL.

“We need to point out that there is no indication at all as to how old this video is, but it is clearly not recent. In the video, Coote talks about lockdown and being socially distant. He shows the guy interviewing him a picture on his phone where he is wearing a mask. He talks about Klopp and James Milner, who hasn’t played for Liverpool for more than 18 months.

“Coote is an elite Premier League referee. He is part of the elite group of match officials, where he has been since 2018. He had eight years as an EFL referee before that. He is one of the most experienced and highly-thought-of referees in this country, and with that position comes an awful lot of responsibility, in terms of impartiality in particular.

“So any suggestion that Coote or any other elite match official might have bias against a particular Premier League club, or bad feeling towards them or their manager, is a very serious allegation.

“But while I think we need to stress there is history between Klopp and Coote, the latter hasn’t had the chance to explain himself, either to us or indeed the PGMOL, who are his employers.
“This has moved very quickly. It’s a huge story and potentially one that is very damaging, not just for Coote but the PGMOL as well.”