22 November,2015 05:55 AM IST | | AFP
Judge Sweeney instructs jury to carefully assess evidence of ex-NZ cricketer Vincent, who accused Cairns of offering him cash to under-perform in ICL
Chris Cairns and Lou Vincent
London: The judge in the perjury trial of former New Zealand captain Chris Cairns warned a jury on Friday to be "particularly cautious" regarding the evidence of self-confessed match-fixer Lou Vincent.
Chris Cairns
Cairns and co-defendant Andrew Fitch-Holland, a barrister, face perjury and perverting the course of justice charges after the all-rounder successfully sued Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi for accusing him of match-fixing on Twitter in 2010.
Lou Vincent
Both Cairns and Fitch-Holland deny the charges against them. But the prosecution in the ongoing case at London's Southwark Crown Court have alleged that Cairns lied during the libel hearing when he said he had "never, ever" engaged in match fixing. The jury has also heard evidence from former New Zealand batsman Vincent, who said Cairns had promised to pay him money if he deliberately played badly while they were playing for the Chandigarh Lions in the Indian Cricket League in 2008.
Judge Nigel Sweeney, summing up, gave detailed instructions to the Southwark jury as to how they should assess the evidence of Vincent, who admitted to match fixing in 2013 and was given a life ban from cricket. "The prosecution say that nevertheless you can be sure he is telling the truth when he tells us that Mr Cairns recruited him to take part in cheating," said the judge.
