The Chris Cairns perjury trial has entered a new phase as Andrew Fitch-Holland, Cairns’ co-accused, starts his own defence by saying that talk of matchfixing was “pub talk” and “bullshit”.
Fitch-Holland was Cairns’ legal adviser. His evidence outlined his background dealings and friendship with Cairns and his second wife and their two boys.
Stuff.co.nz reports that Fitch-Holland was upset when Cairns took up with now-wife Mel in 2008, saying that was the context of his “he’s guilty, Cairnsy’s guilty,” remarks at a boozy 2010 function, part of evidence given by former Black Cap Chris Harris.
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Barrister Andrew Fitch-Holland: “It wasn’t true Chris did have a past record in match-fixing, it was clearly defamatory.”
Those comments were about infidelity, not cheating at cricket, he said.
“The only thing I would have thought he’s guilty of was not keeping his trousers up, basically,” Fitch-Holland told the jury.
Nearly two years earlier, Cairns had rung Fitch-Holland the day he was suspended by the ICL board.
Cairns told him the October 2008 suspension was political, but effectively it was for underperforming due to an undisclosed injury.
There was no mention “whatsoever” of fixing, Fitch-Holland told the jury as he gave testimony in his own defence.
A day later a “hacked off” Cairns was back on the phone, saying there were rumours on the internet linking his dismissal from the Chandigarh Lions to match-fixing.
Fitch-Holland asked him if it was true.
“No mate, it’s just pub talk and bullshit,” Cairns told his English friend.
Trying to quash the rumours was “like chasing smoke,” co-accused Fitch-Holland told the jury.
Fitch-Holland is alleged to have sought a false statement from Lou Vincent to support Cairns in his libel case against Indian businessman Lalit Modi.
The evidence also covered the issue of a Skype call Fitch-Holland made in England, to Vincent in Abu Dhabi in a bid to persuade him to “help his mate” landed him in the dock, alleging that he was attempting to persuade Vincent to provide a false statement of evidence.
His lawyer Jonathan Laidlaw, QC, played back the infamous Skype conversation, which Vincent recorded without Fitch-Holland knowing.
Laidlaw broke the recording into 19 parts, with Fitch-Holland talking the jury about what was in his mind at the time.
Fitch-Holland told the court that when the recording was made, he had no idea Vincent had been involved in match-fixing.
Source: Stuff.co.nz
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