Couple accused over false statements in Conor McGregor case refuse to accept book of evidence

A couple accused of giving false statements for an appeal by Conor McGregor over a civil rape case have refused to accept the book of evidence while their solicitor was not present as a result of the continuing legal aid dispute.Samantha O’Reilly and Steven Cummins, both aged 39, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Monday.Their case follows an investigation by An Garda Síochána into evidence filed in McGregor’s failed appeal against a jury’s finding that he raped Nikita Hand.O’Reilly, a former neighbour of Hand, and Cummins have been charged with giving statements in judicial proceedings that were false and that they knew to be false. They have not entered pleas.READ MOREConor McGregor leaving the Four Court after the jury in a civil case taken by Nikita Hand found against him. Photograph: Collins Courts O’Reilly faces two counts of giving false statements in January and May of last year. The offences are alleged to have happened at Lincoln Lane, Dublin.She was arrested with Cummins at their home in Cherry Orchard Green, Ballyfermot, in September.They were to be served the book of evidence in court on Monday and a garda said the book was ready to be served.When asked whether they would accept the book of evidence or have the matter put back, O’Reilly said she wanted it put back. The couple told the court that their solicitor, Tony Collier, was on strike over the criminal legal aid dispute.Both defendants refused to accept service of the book as Collier was not present to act for them in court.O’Reilly and Cummins were arrested last year after a court in Dublin referred claims made by them as part of McGregor’s appeal to the Director of Public Prosecutions over perjury concerns.It came after a request from a lawyer for Hand, who successfully sued McGregor in a civil action over an incident in which he was alleged to have “brutally raped and battered” her in a penthouse at a south Dublin hotel in December 2018.McGregor, who told the court he and Hand had consensual sex, appealed after a jury of eight women and four men found him civilly liable for assault.The appeal was expected to contain fresh evidence after an affidavit from O’Reilly, which claimed she had witnessed a physical fight between Hand and her then partner at about the time as the incident at the Beacon hotel in Sandyford.Hand denied having any altercation with her former partner and the court heard last year that she described the claims from O’Reilly and Cummins as “lies”.Nikita Hand speaking to the media after attending the Court of Appeal last year. Photograph: Collins Courts Their evidence was unexpectedly withdrawn as part of the appeal, with McGregor’s legal team telling the court it would no longer be relying on the material.Jude Brian O’Moore told the court at the time that the manner in which the new evidence was abandoned “in the last moment ... remains mysterious”.McGregor later lost his appeal against the civil jury’s finding on all five grounds that the case was taken.The Supreme Court also refused to hear appeals from him in relation to the civil case.Hand was awarded €248,603.60 in damages and McGregor was also ordered to pay about €1.3 million in legal costs after the trial.O’Reilly and Cummins were remanded on continuing bail until December 7th to allow for further time for the book to be served. – PA