John Gordon SC, for Ms Ni Laimhin, said the two men knew each other because they were around the same age, came from the same area and had mutual friends.

Mr Gordon said Mr McGregor was seen as a “hero” in the Dublin suburb of Drimnagh, where Ms Ni Laimhin lived with her partner and seven-year-old daughter.

That night, Ms. Ni Laimhin had drunk, taken a few cocaine and I went out with friends.

The court also heard she suffered from depression and was taking antidepressants.

The court was told that Mr McGregor possessed a bag of cocaine, which was shared between Mr McGregor, the complainant and her friend.

The group, which included the complainant, Mr McGregor, Mr Lawrence, as well as his security team and others, then went to a penthouse suite at the Beacon Hotel in Dublin.

“She tried to push him away.”

At one point, Mr. McGregor entered a bedroom and motioned for Ms. Ni Laimhin to join him. The court heard Mr McGregor “hit on her” but she did not want to have sex with him because she was on her period.

Mr Gordon told the court she alleged Mr McGregor pinned her on the bed and she was not physically a match for him.

“She will tell you that she was nervous, that she tried to push him away but that she was completely unable to,” he added.

“You will see pictures of his hands and wrists that are black and blue. You will see that her left breast has a bloody scratch. The scratch is there because she was wearing a watch and had her hands raised to protect herself. She was pressed and the watch marked her chest.

“Mr. McGregor then turns her around, puts her arm in an arm lock and pulls her up by the neck. She can’t breathe. And he does it again.

“The third time he does it, she gives up. She can’t resist this anymore. During this, he said, “Now you know what it was like to be in the Octagon when I went down there three times.”

“At that point, she was completely terrified. » She then suffered “a violent and brutal attack”.

“A bit of rough sex”

It was later alleged she had sex with Mr Lawrence, but Mr Gordon said she had no memory of such an event.

Ms Ni Laimhin then returned home and visited her mother, who called 999. Ms Ni Laimhin was taken to hospital in an ambulance. The court heard she was shaking and in pain as she was taken to hospital.

Mr Gordon said: “Faced with this, Mr McGregor will tell you that it was a consensual encounter, that they were just having fun and having a bit of rough sex. This is his answer.

The defense claimed in the evidence booklet that Ms Ni Laimhin had several opportunities to complain to people about the way she had been treated, but failed to do so.

It is also alleged that Ms. Ni Laimhin would engage in an extortion attempt, the court heard.

The hearing is expected to last approximately two weeks.