How Conor McGregor gasped, held his mother’s hand and repeated “Easy, Easy” as he was calmed by his partner Dee Devlin before the jury decided he had sexually assaulted a woman

Conor McGregor gasped and held his mother’s hand as a jury of eight women and four men prepared to deliver their verdict in his rape trial on Friday.

The MMA fighter paused and repeated “simple, simple” to himself as the jury returned after six hours and 10 minutes of deliberations to find him liable for assault.

As the High Court in Dublin fell silent, McGregor’s heavy breathing could be heard in the moments before the decision as his mother held his hand.

His partner, Dee Devlin, stroked his arm supportively to calm him as the jury wrapped up two weeks of hearings to reach its final verdict.

Nikita Hand had claimed that McGregor sexually assaulted her on December 9, 2018 and that another man, James Lawrence, did the same, the court heard.

McGregor shook his head and buried it in his hands as the jury found McGregor liable and awarded Hand almost €250,000.

Hand separately lost her lawsuit against McGregor’s friend James Lawrence.

In court on Friday afternoon, she described the two weeks as a “nightmare” – but said she felt vindicated.

McGregor arrived in court on Friday in a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce with his partner Dee.

They were joined by members of McGregor’s family and a supportive entourage, including boxing trainer Phil Sutcliffe.

McGregor wore a dark blue suit with a green tie and white shirt, with a small handkerchief sticking out of the pocket of his blazer.

It was a long day for everyone involved. The jury left after 10 a.m. and announced its decision shortly before 5 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Before handing down the verdict, Judge Owens reminded the jury of their responsibilities on Thursday.

He referred to legal principles, including the standard of proof, which is the balance of probabilities in such civil proceedings.

He also reminded them of the various harms to consider and urged them to “use common sense” in their decision.

The jury retired to the jury room to consider a briefing paper with two questions on which they were to reach a verdict.

The first asked simply: “Did Mr. McGregor attack Ms. Hand?”

The second followed: “Did Mr. Lawrence attack Ms. Hand?”

Answering “yes” to both questions led them to decide what damages they should award to Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin.

In the courtroom, Hand took her seat, followed by McGregor and his group.

His mother tried to calm him down when he started crying, and his father joined him.

Judge Owens returned and warned the room against any excitement.

The jury returned and Judge Owens asked if they had a verdict.

McGregor watched them say that and announced their decision.

When the verdict was announced, he slumped forward with his head in his hands.

They found McGregor had assaulted Hand and awarded her €248,603.60 (£206,621.91).

Hand cried and was hugged by her partner and supporters as the jury left after completing two weeks of intensive deliberations about the events of December 9, 2018.

They had heard how McGregor and Lawrence sexually assaulted Hand after a Christmas party in a Dublin hotel room.

Hand had remembered contacting McGregor after one night and continuing the process the next morning.

She said they were driven to a party in a penthouse room at the Beacon Hotel and consumed alcohol and drugs together while picking up Lawrence on the way.

The plaintiff claims she was choked and forcibly raped by McGregor sometime between 12:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. that day.

McGregor told the court he had consensual sex with Hand but denied allegations he assaulted her or caused her bruises.

Lawyer Remy Farrell FC argued that Hand had shown “selective amnesia and memory loss” when describing individual events.

He pointed to CCTV footage showing Hand “happy, happy, happy” after the incident.

And he said footage showed Hand doing a “victory dance” after sending a text message to her boyfriend that didn’t say she was at the hotel.

“Then bang, as soon as she knows she has to go home and face the music – that’s where the accusations start,” he added.

He acknowledged that the jury might even “detest” McGregor, but urged them to put aside any “negative views” and only consider the evidence before reaching a verdict.

The court also heard from witnesses, including a paramedic who examined Hand and said she hadn’t seen “anyone with bruises like that” in a long time.

Advanced paramedic Eithne Scully said Nikita Hand was “very upset and distressed” and was “curled up” when she spoke to her the day after.

The court heard Scully and another paramedic took Hand to the sexual assault unit at Rotunda Hospital.

She said Hand’s main concern was that a tampon had been pushed “way too far up” and she was in pain.

She added that she could see a small cut on her chin and that there appeared to be some bruising on her lower neck.

During an examination, she discovered bruising on her chest, breasts, legs, buttocks and thighs.

The court also heard from Hand’s GP, Dr. Frank Clarke, who said she had been diagnosed with PTSD.

He said he had been treating Hand since she was a child and that she had suffered from anxiety and self-confidence issues in the past – and that she had previously been prescribed a low dose of medication to help her.

He said that after she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she was prescribed stronger medication that helped her deal with the peaks of her emotional pain.

After reviewing evidence for two weeks about the events of December 9, 2018, the jury concluded that McGregor had assaulted Hand.

Outside court, Hand described the two-week trial as a “nightmare” but said she felt vindicated.

She said she hopes her case will remind assault victims to continue to “stand up for justice” and show her daughter Freya “that you can stand up for yourself when something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and that justice will prevail.”

She said: “I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you may be, speak out, you have a voice and keep fighting for justice.”

“I know that this has had a huge impact on not only my life, but also the lives of my daughter, my family and my friends. It is something I will never forget for the rest of my life.”

McGregor remained silent as he left court with his partner.

McGregor broke his silence in a since-deleted post, saying: “I will be appealing yesterday’s decision.”

“The judge’s order and modest award were for personal injury, not for serious or exemplary damages.”

“I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence reviewed by the DPP. “I am now with my family and focused on my future. Thank you to all my support worldwide.’