Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns to contest perjury charge

Chris Cairns outside Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday

Former New Zealand all-rounder Chris Cairns was present at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday to fight a perjury charge in relation to his 2012 libel trial case against former IPL chairman Lalit Modi. The case was subsequently sent to Southwark Crown Court, which deals with criminal cases, and the next hearing on the case is on October 16.

Cairns was charged, last week, with the crime of lying in court under the Perjury Act, and could be sentenced to a maximum of 7 years in prison if found guilty. Andrew Fitch-Holland, who appeared as a witness for Cairns in his case against Modi, has also been charged on the count of misleading the court after asking tainted New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent to provide a false witness statement in support of Cairns.

Modi had tweeted in 2010 about Cairns’ supposed involvement in match-fixing. Cairns, subsequently, took Modi to court, accusing the latter of libelling him. Cairns was vindicated in the case as Justice Bean, a High Court judge, said that Modi had failed to substantiate his claims, and the New Zealander was compensated £90,000 in damages.

Cairns and Fitch-Holland, who have both been granted unconditional bail, will, in all likelihood, face a criminal trial in mid-2015 after submitting their appeals during the case management stage at Southwark Crown Court.

Cairns, who had been notified last month of the Crown Prosecution Service’s intention to charge him with perjury, had said at the time, "I'm obviously extremely disappointed, however, at least there will now be an opportunity to face my accusers in an open forum, with some rigour and proper process around that, so that I can clear my name once and for all."