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A paramedic told a High Court in Dublin that she had not seen “someone so bruised” in a long time when she examined a woman who claimed she was raped by Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor.
Advanced paramedic Eithne Scully said that Nikita Hand, who is claiming civil damages against Mr McGregor, was “very upset and distressed” and was “curled up” when she spoke to her the day after the alleged incident.
Mr McGregor is facing accusations in the civil action that he “brutally raped and battered” Ms Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin.
She is also suing another man, James Lawrence, for sexual assault in December 2018.
Ms Hand, who has no automatic right to anonymity, has accused Mr McGregor of pinning her to a bed and raping her in a hotel bedroom in south Dublin.
The court also heard on Tuesday that Ms Hand has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of the alleged rape.
The court heard that Ms Scully and another paramedic took Ms Hand to the Rotunda hospital sexual assault unit.
She said that Ms Hand’s main concern was that a tampon had been “pushed up way too far”, and she had pains.
In evidence to the court, Ms Scully said she could see a small cut on her chin and there appeared to be some bruising on her lower neck.
During an examination, she saw bruising around her chest, breast, down her legs, as well as around her buttocks and thighs.
When asked about the severity of the bruising, Ms Scully told the court that she had not seen someone so bruised in a long time.
The court also heard from Ms Hand’s GP, Dr Frank Clarke, who said that she had been diagnosed with PTSD.
He said he has been treating Ms Hand since she was a child, and that she had a history of anxiety and struggled with her confidence – and had previously been prescribed a low dose of medication to help her.
He said that following her diagnosis of PTSD, she had been prescribed stronger medication, which he said helped her deal with the peaks of her emotional pain.
Dr Clarke said the medication has a sedative effect, and helps people who suffer from night terrors, panic attacks and severe distress.
He said said they are only used in the short term as they can be abused.
Ms Hand was prescribed a number of the tablets, which helped with her sleep, anxiety and emotional distress – but he said it was “not a good route to go”.
“In general we are strongly against using those on an ongoing basis,” he added.
Dr Clarke said that Ms Hand has struggled over the years because of her PTSD, and has struggled with her self-esteem.
He said that symptoms of PTSD includes a person losing hope, hating themselves, drinking too much, and behaving in a way that is uncharacteristic.
He said that Ms Hand has received ongoing counselling and medication to help her with her condition.
He said that Ms Hand was anxious not to become dependent on medication and had remained determined to continue using counselling as a form of treatment.
The court was told that PTSD is caused by an “extremely stressful or terrifying event”.
The person can either be part of the event or witness it.
The court was told that Ms Hand has suffered from flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and intrusive thoughts.
Dr Clark said Ms Hand had to leave her work as a hairdresser because the alleged event happened following a Christmas work party, that people in her work knew about it and people coming into the salon had been talking about it.
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The GP said Ms Hand had great difficulty coping, and that the relationship with her former partner broke down and she had difficulty in supporting her mother.
He also said Ms Hand has found it difficult to undergo routine health procedures, including a smear test.
He said that it has been “incredibly difficult” for his patient, and he hopes she can continue with check-ups soon.