A jury at a civil trial at Ireland’s high court has found that the Irish martial arts fighter Conor McGregor assaulted a woman who had accused him of raping her at a hotel in Dublin in December 2018.

McGregor was ordered pay nearly €250,000 (£210,000) in damages to Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ní Laimhín.

Lawyers for Hand had accused 36-year-old McGregor of brutally raping and battering her. The jury was told that when she was referred to a sexual assault treatment unit the day after the alleged assault, a doctor was so concerned that he directed that photographs be taken of her injuries.

Hand also alleged that that another man, James Lawrence, sexually assaulted her. The jury found that Lawrence did not assault Hand.

Speaking outside the court after the verdict, Hand, 35, told reporters that she was “overwhelmed” by the support she had received. She thanked her family and a staff member from a rape crisis centre who had sat beside her throughout “this entire period”, including the two-week trial.

“I want to show [her daughter] Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person, is and justice will be served,” Hand said. “To all the victims of sexual assault, I hope my story is a reminder that no matter how afraid you might be, speak up, you have a voice and keep on fighting for justice.”

She added that she hoped to rebuild her life now that her six-year ordeal was over.

Hand, who grew up in the same area of Dublin as McGregor, took the civil court case primarily to be vindicated, her barrister had told the court, after the director of public prosecutions decided not to pursue a criminal case on the grounds that there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction.

McGregor shook his head as the jury returned their verdict and awarded Hand damages of €248,603. He had arrived in court with a large supporter and family contingent including his partner Dee Devlin, his mother Margaret McGregor and sister Aoife McGregor, along with his boxing coach, Philip Sutcliffe, standing at the back just feet away from Hand.

McGregor had denied the allegations, saying that he had “fully consensual sex” with Hand. He also denied causing bruising to the plaintiff. He told the court that Hand’s accusations against him were “full of lies” verging on “fantasy”.

Hand had told the court that she and a friend made contact with McGregor, whom she knew, after a work Christmas party. She said they were driven by McGregor to a party in a penthouse room of a south Dublin hotel, where drugs and alcohol were consumed. She said McGregor took her to a bedroom in the penthouse and sexually assaulted her. Hand’s lawyer, John Gordon, said Hand was on antidepressants and “full of drugs” at the time of the alleged assault.