{"id":653636,"date":"2026-08-24T10:34:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/653636\/"},"modified":"2026-08-24T10:34:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T10:34:19","slug":"garda-investigation-into-attack-on-nikita-hands-partner-and-break-in-at-her-home-effectively-dead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/653636\/","title":{"rendered":"Garda investigation into attack on Nikita Hand’s partner and break-in at her home ‘effectively dead’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Garda investigation into a break-in and attack at the home of the woman who accused Conor McGregor<\/a> of rape has been shelved after investigators couldn’t trace the getaway car.<\/p>\n

Gardai<\/a> have been investigating the horrific attack that saw Nikita Hand\u2019s partner stabbed at her then home in Drimnagh, Co Dublin in June of 2024.<\/p>\n

However, sources say the investigation is effectively at an end after efforts to identify the attackers yielded no results. It is understood Ms Hand<\/a>, who gave a statement to garda\u00ed about the horrific ordeal, has been informed of the development.<\/p>\n

The incident involved a group of men wearing balaclavas breaking her windows and stabbing her partner in a terrifying attack that occurred five months before Ms Hand\u2019s high-profile civil rape trial began.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nikita Hand speaking to the media after attending the Court of Appeal(Image: SAM BOAL\/COLLINS PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

Gardai made efforts to identify a vehicle believed to have been used by the gang as they escaped. However, efforts to trace its movements have proven difficult, and the attackers have not been identified to date.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis investigation is effectively dead. No file was sent to the DPP. No one will ever say it\u2019s fully closed because any new piece of information could reopen it,\u201d a source said.<\/p>\n

Ms Hand, who is publishing a new memoir about her experiences, declined to comment when contacted. Some of the details of the attack at her home emerged during the civil rape trial but could not be reported until after a verdict was reached.<\/p>\n

The court was told that her home was invaded by a \u201cgroup of men with balaclavas\u201d who \u201cburst\u201d into her bedroom – and her partner received \u201cstab wounds\u201d in the process.<\/p>\n

Her young daughter, who was in another room, dialled 999 and gardai soon arrived, the court was told. The windows of the house were broken during the incident, the court heard.<\/p>\n

\"Nikita<\/p>\n

Nikita Hand<\/p>\n

Ms Hand\u2019s Counsel said he was not laying the attack at the feet of Conor McGregor but said \u201cwe do make the claim that it is not an untargeted attack and it arose from supporters of the first named defendant (McGregor).<\/p>\n

Mr Gordon said the incident is relevant to his client\u2019s claim because she had to move from the Drimnagh area. He said he was not making the claim that Mr McGregor had anything to do with the incident.<\/p>\n

Judge Owens said it was a matter that would be left open to \u201cbig speculation\u201d if Ms Hand\u2019s counsel were not tendering any evidence that Mr McGregor had anything to do with it.<\/p>\n

Mr Gordon said he believed the matter was relevant to his client\u2019s \u201cstate of anxiety\u201d and her move from the Drimnagh area.<\/p>\n

\"Conor<\/p>\n

Conor McGregor and partner Dee Devlin leave the High Court in November<\/p>\n

Remy Farrell SC for Conor McGregor said it seemed Ms Hand was “acknowledging this incident which we know nothing about has nothing to do with us.\u201d He said it seemed \u201cextraordinary\u201d to \u201csmuggle something like that into the case\u201d and called it an unprecedented claim.<\/p>\n

Judge Owens ruled that the matter was \u201ccompletely and utterly irrelevant\u201d and stated that it shouldn\u2019t be referred to at the time. Later during the case Dr Frank Clarke said in the witness box that his client had to be put back on medication following a \u201cvery difficult event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Clarke was referring to his most recent meeting with Ms Hand earlier that year. After he stated this the jury were briefly sent out of the room – and Judge Owens stated that it appeared the doctor was referring to the incident in which Ms Hand\u2019s home was broken into.<\/p>\n

He said now that the jury had heard about this \u201cdifficult event,\u201d they might hear more about it. However the incident never came up after this point throughout the trial.<\/p>\n

\"Conor<\/p>\n

Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin after the outcome of the case<\/p>\n

The jury ultimately believed Ms Hand\u2019s account that she was raped by McGregor at the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford, Dublin in December 2018.<\/p>\n

The decision marks the end of a long road for Ms Hand, who was awarded \u20ac250,000 by a civil jury which found that McGregor had assaulted her in a major case that made headlines throughout November 2024.<\/p>\n

The jury then awarded \u20ac248,603.60 in general and special damages, taking into account Ms Hand\u2019s loss of earnings since she stopped working and her future loss of earnings.<\/p>\n

The UFC fighter tried and failed to appeal the decision in the Court of Appeal. He further tried to take the case to the Supreme Court – which refused to hear it.<\/p>\n

In its decision late last year the Supreme Court said that it is \u201cnot satisfied that any matter of general public importance arises in this application justifying an appeal to this Court.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Nikita<\/p>\n

Nikita Hand’s new book ‘Not the Perfect Victim’ (Image: Nikita Hand)<\/p>\n

They further stated that McGregor \u201csets out, as such a matter, the question as to what are the principles governing the admissibility, in a civil trial, of evidence which trenches on the right to silence of a litigant who was a suspect in a related criminal investigation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile such a question could arise hypothetically, it does not arise here on the facts of this case,\u201d the court said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe decision of the Court below involved the application of well-established principles as to whether the jury should have been discharged in the light of an erroneous ruling by the trial judge, and as to how the risk of an unfair trial may be avoided by the trial judge making necessary rulings and giving the appropriate directions to the jury. The application of those principles to the particular facts of this case is not a matter of general public importance,\u201d it further stated.<\/p>\n

The Court went on to state that it was \u201csatisfied that the applicant has had a fair hearing, notwithstanding the admission of the \u201cno comment\u201d evidence, followed by a full appeal to the Court of Appeal, and therefore he has had the benefit of his right of appeal.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nikita Hand<\/p>\n

Ms Hand is publishing her memoir about what she went through later this year. The book will mark the first time she has spoken about everything since the major High Court case and McGregor’s ensuing appeal loss.<\/p>\n

In a statement publishers Hachette Ireland said it is proud to announce the book – titled \u2018Not the Perfect Victim\u2019 – which they said is \u201ca courageous and ground-breaking book by Nikita Hand.\u201d \u201cThis is a singular story of survival, truth telling and unflinching personal bravery.\u201d<\/p>\n

The book, which is available for pre order, is due to be released on September 22.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: <\/strong>Sign up here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Garda investigation into a break-in and attack at the home of the woman who accused Conor McGregor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":653637,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[40],"tags":[956,9,10,4003,27,52,18,13,14,6,10476,19,17,11,12,15,16,5,34206,4614,7,8,4456],"class_list":["post-653636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-an-garda-siochana","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-conor-mcgregor","tag-courts","tag-dublin","tag-eire","tag-featured-news","tag-featurednews","tag-headlines","tag-high-court","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-latest-news","tag-latestnews","tag-main-news","tag-mainnews","tag-news","tag-nikita-hand","tag-plus","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-ufc"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117150042482572681","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=653636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/653637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=653636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=653636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=653636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}