The Cairns match fixing trial has found Chris Cairns not guilty, following an eight week trial.
Cairns was moved to tears following the 10 hours’ deliberations of the jury, which returned the verdict clearing him of perjury charge along with his former legal adviser Andrew Fitch-Holland who was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice.
The Court battle pitched two of Britain’s leading barristers against one another, as previously reported in LawFuel, in a hard fought and often bitter case involving multiple allegations against the former Black Caps star cricketer.
When Cairns emerged from court, the first thing he did was thank the jury, who had walked by en masse a few minutes earlier.
He said the British legal system had vindicated him.
“It’s a pretty robust system, and the jury today came back with a not guilty verdict, and I couldn’t be more happy,” Cairns told waiting media.
“My legal team have been superb throughout and I can’t thank them enough, there’s been a lot of people behind the scenes who have helped out.
“Other than being exhausted, very, very tired, I’m looking forward to getting home and seeing my family and being with them.”
While Cairns did not betray his emotions when the verdict came, he said the reason for that was that he was unable to hear the foreman’s words.
The case received huge publicity both here and in the UK with many picking that Cairns and the colourful former friend would ‘go down’. Evidence against the pair appeared compelling.
First Smile
Cairns offered his first smile when his family were mentioned, then slipped to the verge of tears when he said he had spoken to his wife Mel by phone after the verdict.
His thoughts were especially with his legendary father Lance Cairns, 66, the Kiwi folk hero who used his shoulderless bat “Excalibur” to pound six sixes off the Australian attack at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“He’s a cricket man through and through. I don’t know what cricket holds for me, but I’m just happy for my father and my mother, you know, that they can hold their heads high in New Zealand.”
He was blunt that he could never work in cricket again: “No, no,” he said, adding “it’s my choice.”
“I think it would be a pretty hard environment to go back into, there’s been a a lot of damage done and I think that that’s unfortunate, and sad.”
>> See the “Legal Stars” in Cairns Trial
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