'Witness' couple may face perjury rap

CONOR McGregor and a couple he put forward and subsequently withdrew as witnesses in his appeal are now facing potential criminal prosecution.

- BY PAUL HEALY Crime Correspondent

Three judges of the Court of Appeal made the bombshell decision to refer documentation put forward by counsel for Nikita Hand to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) yesterday, following claims of “perjury”.

The judges made the decision off the back of claims by John Gordon SC, for Ms Hand, that “perjury” may have occurred in this case after sworn affidavits were opened in court by the now withdrawn witnesses Samantha O'Reilly and Steven Cummins.

The couple had sworn affidavits claiming they heard a row between Ms Hand and her then partner on the night of December 9, 2018, after the alleged rape, with Ms O'Reilly claiming she saw the row from her bedroom in a house across the road.

She claimed Ms Hand's then boyfriend pushed her and said she saw him moving his arms and hips as though he was punching and kicking her. Mr Cummins had claimed he was woken by screams and shouts coming from Ms Hand's house but said he did not see what had happened.

Their claims have now been totally withdrawn by McGregor - with Ms Hand's counsel seeking an apology from him over the ordeal.

DRIVEWAY