Judge making final remarks in Conor McGregor case

The jury in the Conor McGregor trial is expected to be sent out for deliberation on Thursday following final remarks from the judge.

Dublin woman Nikita Hand has accused the mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter of rape after a Christmas night out in December 2018.

He denies all allegations, as does co-defendant James Lawrence.

The trial is a civil case in Dublin High Court after the director of public prosecutions in Ireland decided not to charge Mr McGregor criminally.

Ms Hand is seeking damages.

The judge told the jury on Wednesday that many women who are raped do not report right away.

Justice Alex Owens told the eight men and four women that just nine of them have to be in agreement on whether one or both men are to be found liable of assault.

Setting out the evidence in the trial, Mr Owens repeatedly told the jury they would be deciding on the evidence before them in the trial, not what people said before the trial or to gardai (police).

He said Ms Hand, Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence all confirmed they had been drinking or were drunk at the time of the alleged incidents.

He added that most women “are not raped by people who jump out of bushes” but rather people that are known to them, or members of their family.

Mr Owens said for a myriad of reasons rape victims may not report right away.

He said that distress is not always linked to an event but the aftermath of the event can also be a factor in the distress.

“Look at all evidence, meaning all the evidence, even if they damaged their own case,” he said.

“In looking at the evidence, does a witness have an axe to grind? Or are they holding something back?

“You can’t speculate on what they might have been said if they had been put on the rack in the Tower of London.”

The eight men and four women on the jury sat through eight days of evidence, including Ms Hand, Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence as well as doctors and two paramedics.

The Irish sportsman claims he had consensual sex with Ms Hand twice in the Beacon Hotel in Dublin.

He also claimed in court that Ms Hand had sex with his associate and co-defendant Mr Lawrence. Ms Hand says she never had sex with Mr Lawrence.