A lawyer for Nikita Hand has urged a High Court judge to order Conor McGregor to pay the entire costs of her civil action after a jury found she had been raped by the mixed martial arts fighter in Dublin six years ago.
Ms Hand, a 35-year-old from Dublin, was awarded almost 250,000 euros in damages against Mr McGregor following a three-week civil trial last month.
She lost her claim against a second man, James Lawrence, from whom she also sought damages for assault.
John Gordon, SC for Ms Hand, said the conduct of Mr McGregor before, during and after the trial warranted him paying the entire costs of the proceedings.
Mr Gordon has made an application that Mr McGregor pay solicitor and own-client costs, which would cover his own as well as costs relating to Mr Lawrence.
It emerged during the case that Mr McGregor had been paying the legal costs of his friend.
The court was urged to take into consideration that Mr McGregor had posted after the verdict a series of social media posts, in which he described the court as a “kangaroo court”.
Mr Gordon said this was a “direct insult” to the jury.
He also said that the “direct criticism” of the jury should not go unremarked and should be considered as part of costs.
Justice Alexander Owens said it was “most unsatisfactory” that a litigant would attack the jury and accused them of disregarding the court rules.
Mr Gordon claimed that as the jury found against Mr McGregor, it shows that they did not believe Mr Lawrence.
However, Remy Farrell, SC for Mr McGregor, rejected the application saying that the court does not have a wide discretion, as asserted by Mr Gordon, to award costs.
He said it should be done in the normal way, that costs the event.
John Fitzgerald, SC for Mr Lawrence, said his client was not involved in some “grand conspiracy theory” against Ms Hand and claimed that the court was being asked to become the 13th juror in the case.
The judge is considering the application and will deliver his ruling on Thursday afternoon.
