The High Court is set to assess damages owed to Nikita Hand by her former neighbours after they failed to respond to Hand’s claim for damages accusing them of abusing court processes.

Samantha O’Reilly and Steven Cummins had been due to give evidence in Conor McGregor’s appeal of a civil jury finding in favour of Hand, who sued the former mixed martial arts fighter over alleged rape in a Dublin hotel.

At the hearing of McGregor’s Court of Appeal (CoA) challenge last July, an application to admit sworn statements by O’Reilly and Cummins was dramatically withdrawn.

McGregor had said fresh evidence provided by O’Reilly and Cummins bolstered his claim he was not responsible for bruising on Hand’s body following the hotel assault.

Hand, in an affidavit, had strongly rejected her former neighbours’ evidence.

Shortly after the three-judge court unanimously dismissed the appeal, Hand filed a lawsuit seeking damages against McGregor, Cummins and O’Reilly for “malicious abuse” of court processes.

On Monday Judge Emily Egan granted judgment to Hand in default of appearance against O’Reilly and Cummins. She placed a stay on the orders for four weeks.

In High Court actions solicitors for a defendant must file an “appearance” within a set period if they intend to defend the action. McGregor’s solicitors, Mulholland Law, have entered an appearance in Hand’s case.

Siún Leonowicz, barrister for Hand instructed by Coleman Legal LLP, told the judge Hand’s case arose from the “conduct” of McGregor’s CoA appeal.

Leonowicz opened to the court documents showing proof of Hand’s lawyers’ service of the proceedings on Cummins and O’Reilly at their addresses last August. Counsel said Hand’s side had received no response from either defendant.

The documents show that Cummins and O’Reilly were served with court papers at an address in Cherry Orchard Green, Ballyfermot.

The judge granted an order for judgment in default of appearance against Cummins and O’Reilly, with the damages they owe to Hand to be assessed by a judge at a later date.

The judge placed a stay on the orders for four weeks, allowing the defendants time to make an application to set aside the orders.

[ ‘I know what happened in that room’: the full story of the Conor McGregor caseOpens in new window ]

In the affidavits filed in McGregor’s CoA appeal, Cummins and O’Reilly alleged that they witnessed a physical altercation between Hand and her then partner Stephen Redmond on the night of December 9th, 2018.

In an affidavit Hand described her neighbours’ claims as lies and said Redmond never assaulted her that night or at any time during their relationship.

Following the CoA’s dismissal of the challenge, McGregor sought a further appeal to the Supreme Court. That court refused to hear his appeal.