Conor McGregor’s failed appeal has taken another dramatic turn after two people whose evidence was intended to support his case were charged with perjury in Ireland.
Samantha O’Reilly, 38, and Steven Cummins, 39, appeared before Dublin District Court on Tuesday after an investigation by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
Both are accused of knowingly providing false statements in affidavits connected to McGregor’s appeal over the civil case brought by Nikita Hand.
Two People Face Perjury Charges Over Evidence In Conor McGregor Appeal
O’Reilly faces two charges of allegedly giving a false statement material to judicial proceedings, relating to January 14 and May 6, 2025. Cummins faces one charge relating to January 14, 2025. Neither has entered a plea.
The charges stem from evidence the pair provided ahead of the former UFC two-division champion’s appeal. O’Reilly, who had previously been Hand’s neighbor, claimed in an affidavit that she witnessed a physical altercation involving Hand and her then-partner around the time of the December 2018 incident.
Cummins also provided an affidavit concerning what he said he heard that night. Hand denied the claims, describing them as lies. The proposed evidence was ultimately withdrawn by McGregor’s legal team at the beginning of his appeal and the pair did not testify.
The Irishman’s appeal was subsequently dismissed in its entirety by the Court of Appeal in July 2025. The court had already referred concerns surrounding the withdrawn evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions, leading to the subsequent investigation.
The latest proceedings do not represent a finding of guilt against O’Reilly or Cummins. The DPP has directed that both face trial on indictment, meaning the case will proceed to the Circuit Court. The perjury charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment upon conviction.
