Chris Cairns trial: Lou Vincent accused of Skype blackmail plot

Lou Vincent leaves Southwark Crown Court with his partner Susie Markham and her daughter Tina. Photo / Chris Gorman

Lou Vincent recorded a Skype conversation as part of a plan to blackmail Chris Cairns, a court has heard.

Vincent returned to the Southwark Crown Court to give evidence for a third straight day, his second of cross-examination by Queen's Counsel for Cairns and his friend Andrew Fitch-Holland.

The pair are jointly charged with perverting the course of justice in relation to a Skype conversation in March 2011 in which Fitch-Holland, a barrister by profession, asked Vincent to provide a statement to support Cairns in a court case.

Cairns had taken libel proceedings against Lalit Modi, the "extremely powerful and wealthy" chairman of the Indian Premier League, who had posted a message on Twitter which labelled him as a match-fixer.

As part of his cross-examination in the current trial, Orlando Pownall QC, on behalf of Cairns, produced an email chain which showed Vincent contacted Modi in 2010 about the libel case.

In the emails, Vincent asked whether Modi was "going head to head with Chris Cairns" and whether he had a strong case.

He also offered to meet him for coffee, but Vincent said the meeting never took place.

Vincent said he contacted Modi because he was "disgusted at reading the lies from Chris Cairns" but Mr Pownall asked why he did not give evidence on behalf of Modi.

"Here was a chance to do something to help and you did nothing?"

Vincent said his allegiance was to Chris Cairns and he was worried he would not be paid for his matchfixing.

Cairns then asked Vincent to give a statement on his behalf in the libel case, which Vincent refused.

"Did you think Chris Cairns was completely mad to ask you to give evidence?" asked Mr Pownall.

"Ah no, because I was working for him and he needed me to help him," said Vincent.

Mr Pownall responded: "The reason why he asked was because there was no corrupt activity between the two of you and you could give a truthful account."

Chris Cairns arrives at court. He denies the charges against him. Photo / Chris Gorman

After Vincent declined to provide a statement for Cairns, Andrew Fitch-Holland called him on Skype and Vincent recorded the conversation on this cellphone.

Jonathan Laidlaw QC, representing Fitch-Holland, questioned Vincent about his motivation for contacting Modi and recording the Skype call.

He said when Cairns originally called Vincent about providing a statement, part of the conversation was about money.

"The real reason to tape call, I suggest, was that you thought my client was going to offer you payment to make statement. You hoped to catch my client out," said Mr Laidlaw.

"It might be useful, with that information in it, to blackmail Cairns or help the other side, Modi?"

Vincent denied that.

"No, I did it because I thought I might be pressured into changing my mind."

Vincent said he recorded the Skype call because he had a "gut feeling" that Fitch-Holland would try to convince him to change his mind and make a statement for the libel case.

"I was uncomfortable being put in that position."

Mr Pownall also read to the court messages between Vincent and Chris Cairns, or his wife Mel.

The exchanges were cordial, referring to Chris Cairns as "Big Lad" and Mel as "Babes" but there was no mention of the US$250,000 he was allegedly owed for matchfixing.

"Sounds like someone you liked; not someone who introduced you to the misery of corrupt cricket?" Mr Pownall said.

"They still had a power over me and I wanted to keep the channels open because they owed me money," said Vincent.

The QC concluded his cross-examination by suggesting Vincent knew his "number was up" when a number of other players had reported him for spot fixing approaches.

"You thought, if I can give them a big enough name that will help me in all sorts of ways. And that name was Chris Cairns," said Mr Pownall.

By accusing Cairns, Mr Pownall said Vincent thought he could keep himself out of jail and write a "best-seller" book - but had not told the truth.

"I have told the truth," replied Vincent. "I feel proud I can finally look myself in the mirror and be the man I want to become again."

Earlier in the day, the court heard that former New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming confronted Lou Vincent in a bar and accused him of being "dirty".

Mr Pownall asked Vincent if he recalled a conversation with Fleming during the Champions League tournament in South Africa in 2012.

Vincent was playing for Auckland, while Fleming was coaching the Indian team Chennai.

Fleming had a reputation for being "incorruptible", said Pownall, and the former captain accused Vincent of matchfixing.

"He said 'I know you're dirty, I know Chris is dirty'. It was quite harrowing for a respected figure to corner you in a bar," said Vincent.

"It didn't make me feel good, I just wanted to run and hide."

Vincent has finished giving evidence. Brendon McCullum and Shane Bond are scheduled to be the next witnesses tomorrow.

Main points from today's evidence

• Lou Vincent accused of recording Skype conversation in a potential plan to blackmail Chris Cairns.

•Vincent denied this - said he had a "gut feeling" that Andrew Fitch-Holland was going to try to persuade him to give a false statement in the libel case against Lalit Modi.

•Former New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming cornered Vincent at a bar and called him "dirty".

•QC said Vincent knew his "number was up" and lied to implicate Chris Cairns in order to save himself.

•Vincent said he told the truth. "I feel proud I can finally look myself in the mirror and be the man I want to become again."

•Vincent has finished giving evidence. Brendon McCullum and Shane Bond are the next witnesses.