Woman tells Conor McGregor case she was 'surprised' to hear about ...

When Ms Ní Laimhín messaged her on Instagram a few days later and told her she had been raped, Ms Kealey told the court she said she “hadn’t seen anything”.

Furthermore, when Ms Ní Laimhín rang Ms Kealey from the Rotunda Hospital, Ms Kealey said she responded that she “didn’t see or hear anything” on the day.

Nikita Ní Laimhín, aged 35, alleges that mixed-martial arts athlete Mr McGregor — once the highest-earning sportsperson in the world — "brutally raped and battered" her in a Dublin hotel penthouse six years ago.

Ms Ní Laimhín, a hair colourist, is seeking damages from Mr McGregor and Mr James Lawrence, of Rafter's Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12, arising from the events of December 9, 2018, at the penthouse suite of the Beacon hotel in Dublin where she alleges she was raped.

Both Mr McGregor and Mr Lawrence deny the allegations.

In the morning, Remy Farrell SC, for McGregor, said that his client was not present as he had “food poisoning” overnight and that he would “hopefully” be in court in the afternoon.

Mr Farrell later called Ms Kealey as his second witness. Ms Kealey told the court that she didn’t know Ms Ní Laimhín very well but they worked in different branches of the same hair salon group and had attended a Christmas party together.

After visiting a pub and going back to a salon, Ms Kealey said she became aware Ms Ní Laimhín was messaging Mr McGregor on Instagram and he later picked them up and they went to a penthouse room in the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford.

Mr Farrell asked her if she had had sex with James Lawrence in the “sitting room” area of the penthouse hotel room and Ms Kealey said she had.

When asked about Mr McGregor and Ms Ní Laimhín, the witness responded: “I don’t know much about it, I just know they went into the other room”. Ms Kealey said that she did not notice any physical marks or injuries on anyone when the pair came out of this room.

She said Ms Ní Laimhín gave her a hug when they parted as she left in a car with Mr McGregor and Ms Ní Laimhín left in a car with Mr Lawrence.

It was a few days later then that Ms Kealey received a message from Ms Ní Laimhín saying that Mr McGregor had raped her.

Earlier evidence 

Earlier, Ms Ní Laimhín's counsel concluded their questioning of witnesses in the morning, which included testimony from a forensic scientist, a property valuer, a vocational assessor, an actuary and the plaintiff’s former boss.

Her former boss John McMahon told the court that she was good at her job but she “struggled” and became “less reliable” in 2019 after the alleged incident with Mr McGregor.

She had been earning €400 a week plus around €100 in tips at the time but had she built up her clientele, she could’ve been expected to make around €750 plus tips by now.

Forensic scientist Dr Charlotte Murphy told the court that she examined samples taken from Ms Ní Laimhín and her clothing following events in December 2018.

She said that traces of Conor McGregor’s DNA were identified in semen obtained in a swab from her vagina as well as the black playsuit she had been wearing. She said she could estimate it was a “thousand million times more likely” the DNA originated from Mr McGregor than an “unknown, unrelated person”.

James Lawrence was excluded as a possible contributor from the DNA profiles obtained, the court heard.

Dr Murphy also told the court that the playsuit was ripped at the straps, with the rip from the fabric in her right strap “not consistent with wear and tear” but from “pulling”. She said the evidence she obtained does not allow her to make a comment on whether consensual sex took place or not.

Elva Breen, a vocational assessor, also gave evidence based on her meetings with Ms Ní Laimhín and told the court that, in the wake of December 2018, she suffered from panic attacks and flashbacks of the event.

Ms Ní Laimhín was suffering from “significant anxiety” and difficulty in a customer-facing role, the court heard. Ms Breen said she suggested to Ms Ní Laimhín that she re-train into a role, such as in administration, that was less customer-facing.

The court heard Ms Ní Laimhín had worked as cleaner for a period in 2023 and again as a hairdresser for six weeks earlier this year. In the case of the latter, she found it extremely anxiety-provoking and was certified as unfit to return to work.

Nikita Ni Laimhin (pictured) alleges that mixed-martial arts athlete Mr McGregor 'brutally raped and battered' her in a Dublin hotel penthouse six years ago. File picture: Collins Courts

Actuary Peter Byrne, who provides calculations for future loss of earnings in personal injury cases, told the court that he had done several calculations based on Ms Ní Laimhín's earnings prior to December 2018 and what she could’ve earned in the future had her salary increased.

On one basis, that she was never able to work again, her loss from now until the age of 66 would be €962,665. On the basis she could continue to work part-time to the same age, this loss of earnings would be €575,868.

While this loss of earnings was based on her going on to earn €800 a week plus tips, Judge Alexander Owens asked for further calculations based on continuing to earn the €400 she had done prior to ceasing her employment in 2019.

This resulted in figures of a loss of €594,550 if she didn’t work again while it would be just under €200,000 if she worked in a part-time administrative role.

The case continues before Mr Justice Alexander Owens and a jury of four men and eight women.