The jury in the civil case against MMA fighter Conor McGregor has been told that if they come to consider punitive damages they can consider rapes and cover-ups or evidence they view as ‘blatant lies’.

Jurors were given some final legal advice by the trial judge before beginning their deliberations on Nikita Hand’s case against Mr McGregor and his friend James Lawrence.

Miss Hand, a 35-year-old hair colourist from Drimnagh, claimed two men raped her after a party involving cocaine and alcohol in the Beacon Hotel in Dublin on December 9, 2018.

Both denied the mother-of-one’s claim and claimed the sex was consensual.

Jurors were sent to consider their verdict at 3pm yesterday, following seven hours of impeachment by Judge Alexander Owens at the end of the 11-day trial.

Judge Owens reviewed all the evidence heard at the hearing and told them: ‘This completes the evidence.

‘I will now ask you to consider your decisions at this particular stage.’ He said he wanted to remind them that the burden of proof was on the plaintiff, Ms Hand, and that they would decide on the balance of probabilities.

He said their conclusions must be based on evidence.

Conor McGregor outside the High Court in Dublin on 19 November 2024

Nikita Ni Laimhin, also known as Nikita Hand, leaves Dublin High Court on 19 November

James Lawrence during closing arguments outside the High Court in Dublin on 19 November

He said when it comes to deciding on compensation, they should remember that general damages are awarded for present and future pain and suffering and should reflect elements of stress and humiliation in cases of assault.

They must also recognize that such harms can also be a sign of vindication. He said heavy damages could be awarded for events that shocked the plaintiff, but warned them not to ‘double count’ under different heads of damage.

He said exemplary or punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant.

‘You examine the evidence and decide whether to award punitive damages for something you think is really serious,’ he explained.

‘You have the right to view rapes or cover-ups seriously, or to consider evidence that you consider to be clearly false in this context.’

He encouraged them to ‘use your common sense’ and reminded them that all their decisions should be based on evidence. While in the jury room, the jury will have a matter sheet on which they must record their verdict. There are two questions in the magazine.

Four Courts where Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor’s civil case regarding sexual assault allegations is heard in Dublin on 19 November 2024

First, did Conor McGregor attack Nikita Hand? They have to answer yes or no to this. Second, did James Lawrence attack Nikita Hand?

There is a yes or no answer to this. If the answer to both questions is no, they proceed no further and Ms. Hand loses her case.

However, if the answer to the first question is yes, they can evaluate the compensation under the following headings: General damages, special damages including medical expenses and loss of earnings, heavy damages and exemplary damages.

If the answer to the second question is yes, they can evaluate compensation under the headings of general, severe and exemplary compensation.

The judge had previously told the jury that Mr Lawrence could not be awarded special damages because Ms Hand had no memory of having sex with him.

He said his alleged PTSD, which left him needing ongoing counselling, and his alleged inability to return to work stemmed from Mr McGregor’s rape allegation.

He reminded yesterday that answering no to an allegation against one defendant does not mean they have to answer no to the second one. Likewise, saying yes to one does not automatically mean yes to the other.

‘You are being asked to look at two different situations,’ he said. They were told that they could return home after an hour, but that they should not discuss the matter with anyone, including their loved ones, before continuing their work at the Supreme Court today.