Overview

• His legal team withdrew attempts to admit neighbour affidavits suggesting Hand’s bruising came from a domestic incident hours after the alleged hotel assault.
• One appeal ground argues Judge Alexander Owens wrongly directed the jury to assess “assault” instead of “sexual assault.”
• McGregor contests that relying on his “no comment” responses during garda interviews allowed jurors to draw improper adverse inferences.
• Hand’s counsel has requested that the court refer the withdrawn neighbour statements to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further review.
• Proceedings continue before Justices Kennedy, O’Moore and MacGrath as they consider whether these procedural issues warrant overturning the verdict.