MMA fighter arrived in a Dublin courtroom as his civil sexual assault trial begins.
In a court hearing on Tuesday, November 5, ’s attorney, , alleged that McGregor, 36, and another man sexually assaulted his client in December 2018, The Guardian reports. (McGregor has denied the claims and has not been charged with a crime.)
While in court, Gordon said the alleged incident happened after his client met McGregor after a Christmas party.
The pair went to a penthouse suite in the Beacon Hotel in Dublin. The court was told that McGregor allegedly “came on to” Ní Laimhín but she did not want to have sexual intercourse with him as she was on her period.
Ní Laimhín alleged that McGregor pinned her down on the bed. “She will tell you that she was nervous,” her attorney told the court via The Guardian, “that she tried to push him off her but she was completely unable to do so.”
Gordon added, “She subjected herself to what was about to happen, which was a violent and vicious assault.”
During court, Gordon alleged that his client was “no angel” and “doesn’t pretend to be an angel”. On the night of the alleged incident, she had been drinking and had taken some cocaine.
“In the face of this, Mr McGregor will tell you that this was a consensual encounter, that they were just having fun and a bit of rough sex,” Gordon told the court via The Guardian. “That’s his answer. What did I say about common sense? Don’t be fooled into leaving it behind in this [court] room. What he is saying is that she gave him a license to carry out what has to have been a brutal assault on her body.”
McGregor sported a blue suit with a white shirt for his courtroom appearance. It’s unclear if he will testify in the case, which is expected to last around two weeks.
According to The Guardian, the defense alleged in the evidence booklet that Ní Laimhín had several opportunities to complain to people about how she was treated but did not. The defense also alleged Ní Laimhín was engaged in an attempt at extortion.
In July 2021, when the lawsuit was first filed, a spokesperson for McGregor told The New York Times that the allegations were “categorically rejected” and that McGregor is “confident that justice will prevail” in the civil case.
The publication also reported that Irish police and prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges against McGregor.
Us Weekly has reached out to Ní Laimhín and McGregor’s attorneys for comment.
According to RTÉ News, the judge told the jury this case is not a criminal case but a civil case of assault. If it is proved that the assault occurred, then it is a civil wrong and the plaintiff is entitled to compensation.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
