The 4 week trial commenced this Monday, 5th October, before Mr Justice Sweeney at Southwark Crown Court. Chris Cairns, a former New Zealand national cricketer, is alleged to have lied in libel proceedings in the High Court when he claimed that he had never been involved in fixing cricket matches.
Cairns denies perjury and perverting the course of justice relating to his 2012 libel action against Lalit Modi. He is accused of lying when he said he had “never, ever cheated at cricket” or contemplated doing so during the High Court case. He is a co-defendant with his former legal advisor and friend, Andrew Fitch-Holland to the second charge, which centres on trying to procure a false witness statement. Both deny the allegations.
The co-defendants became friends through the Lashings cricket club in Kent, and Fitch-Holland later advised Cairns when he sued the former BCCI president Lalit Modi for libel in 2012.
Lou Vincent, a former New Zealand cricketer and batsman, who was banned from cricket for life last year for his involvement in fixing, claimed that Cairns introduced him to the world of corruption during the Indian Cricket League in 2008. He also recorded a Skype conversation with Fitch-Holland in which the request to provide a false statement in support of Cairns was allegedly made.
Orlando Pownall QC is instructed to represent Chris Cairns by Colin Nott of Hallinan Blackburn Gittins & Nott Solicitors.
Jonathan Laidlaw QC is instructed to represent Andrew Fitch-Holland by Giles Bark-Jones of Bark & Co.
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