Cairns was found not guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns has been found not guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice following a nine-week trial at Southwark Crown Court.

The jury had been due to deliver a verdict on Friday, but were unable to and the trial was adjourned to Monday, where after 10 hours and 17 minutes, Cairns was found not guilty on both charges.

Upon being found not guilty, Cairns reacted emotionally as he dropped to his knees and put his head in his hands.

“My thanks and my family’s thanks go to the jury for reaching the verdict they did. My legal team have been superb, I can’t thank them enough,” Cairns said outside the court. “It’s been hell for the last five or so years and in particular the last couple of years and now having won the legal case in the Royal Courts and now here … I’ve been through the mill and come out the other side. Just a very happy man.

“Reputationally I’m completely scorched … burnt, completely. But it hasn’t stopped me and it won’t stop me. For my dad [former New Zealand cricketer Lance], back in New Zealand, he’s a cricket man through and through – I don’t know what cricket holds for me, I’m just happy for my father and my mother that they can hold their heads high in New Zealand.”

The two charges against Cairns stemmed from his 2012 libel trial against former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi, who had accused Cairns of match-fixing via Twitter in 2010.

However, the jury decided that Cairns had not been lying under oath during that trial and had not been engaged in match and spot-fixing.

Since Cairns was found not guilty of perjury, the perverting the course of justice charge was dismissed automatically.

Meanwhile, co-defendant Andrew Fitch-Holland, a barrister and former legal adviser to Cairns, was cleared of perverting the course of justice.