Conor McGregor Abruptly Withdraws Key Witness Claims in High-Profile Appeal Case

 In a dramatic turn of events, former UFC champion Conor McGregor on Monday withdrew claims that two witnesses had seen a domestic dispute involving Nikita Hand and her former partner on the night she alleges McGregor raped her. The unexpected retraction occurred at the outset of McGregor’s appeal hearing before the High Court in Dublin.

The appeal challenges a jury verdict delivered in November, which found McGregor liable for assaulting Ms Hand and awarded her nearly €250,000 in damages. Ms Hand, a former hairdresser, accused McGregor of raping her at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin in December 2018.

McGregor had initially submitted five grounds for appeal. Chief among them was what he described as “new evidence” from two former neighbours of Ms Hand—Samantha O’Reilly and Steven Cummins—who claimed to have witnessed a violent altercation between Ms Hand and her then-partner on the night in question. However, McGregor’s legal team abruptly withdrew those claims at the beginning of the hearing, describing them as “unsustainable.”

According to affidavits previously submitted, Ms O’Reilly had alleged she saw Ms Hand being pushed and possibly punched and kicked by her partner from her bedroom window across the road. Mr Cummins claimed he was awakened by screams but did not witness the altercation directly. These statements had been expected to form a central part of McGregor’s appeal argument.

Their withdrawal has significant implications for the proceedings. Ms Hand’s legal counsel indicated that she had been prepared to return to the witness box to address these allegations and is now seeking a formal apology from McGregor for the distress caused by the introduction of this evidence.

McGregor, who was not present in court, is continuing to argue four remaining grounds of appeal. These include objections to the jury’s issue paper, which he claims did not explicitly reference sexual assault, concerns about the admissibility of his 2018 “no comment” responses during Garda interviews, and the trial judge’s handling of his right to silence.

Legal observers had anticipated that the testimony of Ms O’Reilly and Mr Cummins would feature prominently in the appeal. Their sudden withdrawal not only shifts the legal strategy but also spares Ms Hand from what would likely have been a high-profile and emotionally charged cross-examination.

The High Court will continue to hear arguments on the remaining grounds in what remains one of the most closely watched civil appeals in recent Irish legal history.