• Conor McGregor was found liable on Friday in connection with a 2018 sexual assault in Dublin, Ireland
• The MMA fighter must pay the victim almost €250,000
• McGregor said he will appeal the decision after the trial in a post on X

MMA fighter Conor McGregor was found liable in a civil rape and sexual assault case in an Irish court on Friday, according to multiple reports.

The 36-year-old athlete was accused in a civil suit filed in 2021 of “brutally” raping and assaulting a woman named Nikita Hand while she was drunk in December 2018 after inviting McGregor to join her and a friend to join a company party in Dublin.

A civil jury found McGregor liable for sexually assaulting Hand and ordered her to pay damages totaling nearly €250,000, which amounts to about $257,000 in U.S. dollars, according to the Associated Press and the Associated Press Press. Guardian.

Lawyers for Hand claimed the woman suffered bruising and post-traumatic stress disorder after the attack. She also accused McGregor’s friend, James Lawrence, of assaulting her on the night in question. She discovered that Lawrence had not attacked her, police said. Guardian.

After the verdict, McGregor evaded reporters and refused to comment as he left the courthouse.

Hand, meanwhile, spoke to reporters outside Dublin courthouse and told them she was “overwhelmed” by the support she has received during the trial, the newspaper said. From the Guardian report.

“For all victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how scared you are, speak up, have a voice and keep fighting for justice,” Hand told media after the trial.

Hand also thanked her daughter on Friday. According to the AP, Hand said her daughter “has given her so much strength and courage during this nightmare over the past six years.”

“I want to show (her) and all the other girls and boys that if something happens to you, you can stand up for yourself, no matter who the person is, and that justice will be done,” Hand added.

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McGregor spoke out in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) after leaving the courthouse, saying he is “disappointed” and plans to appeal the decision.

“I am appealing today’s decision,” McGregor wrote. “The judge’s instruction and the modest award awarded were for assault, not for serious or exemplary damage. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all of the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future. Thank you Thank you for all my support worldwide.”

PEOPLE has contacted a representative for McGregor for comment.

The director of the Rape Crisis Center in Dublin, Rachel Morrogh, issued a statement to police Irish mirror After the trial, he called the verdict Friday “very positive” and a “sign of faith in survivors across the country.”

“Despite facing major setbacks, Nikita Hand strongly maintained her belief that the truth must be told and acknowledged in court,” Morrogh said in the statement. “Today’s verdict will be met with relief by many survivors of sexual violence, who will be watching and listening intently to the story both inside and outside the courtroom.”

McGregor has faced multiple sexual abuse allegations in addition to Hand’s allegations. In 2022, a woman claimed McGregor punched her in a lawsuit and threatened to drown her as they celebrated his birthday on the boat in Ibiza. He has denied the allegations and the case is still ongoing.

McGregor was accused of sexual assault again in 2023 when a woman claimed she was “violently” forced to perform oral sex in a bathroom at the Kaseya Center in Miami after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. However, prosecutors said they would not pursue the case due to “insufficient evidence,” ESPN reported.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.