Chris Cairns and Lou Vincent in 2001. Vincent accuses Cairns of match-fixing. Photo / Getty Images
Chris Cairns and Lou Vincent in 2001. Vincent accuses Cairns of match-fixing. Photo / Getty Images
Lou Vincent was fixing cricket matches on the instructions of an Indian bookie - not Chris Cairns - but implicated his idol in order to "save his own skin", according to the Queen's Counsel representing Cairns.
Vincent had returned to give evidence at the Southwark Crown Court for a second day, this time under cross-examination by Cairns' lawyer Orlando Pownall QC.
The senior barrister questioned Vincent on many different aspects of his evidence, labelling his version of events as "absurd" and "nonsense".
"I can't recall," was a common answer from Vincent.
"I suggest that's an expression you use when you're lying," Mr Pownall said.
Eventually, the trial judge Mr Justice Sweeney cut the hearing short because Vincent was "visibly tired" after four hours of cross-examination.
Mr Pownall had earlier questioned the former cricketer about his contact with Varun Gandhi, who first approached Vincent to fix matches in 2008 during a meeting in Gandhi's hotel room.
Vincent said he refused the "wad of cash" offered to him, but admitted having sex with the woman left as a "gift".
In Vincent's version of events, he told Cairns - his captain at the Chandigarh Lions - about the approach. Cairns allegedly told him: "You work for me now".
Mr Pownall said the meeting with Cairns never happened. "That's 100 per cent wrong," replied Vincent.
Vincent and his partner arrive at Southwark Crown Court in London. Photo / Chris Gorman
But he conceded to never receiving any payments from Cairns for match-fixing, but did receive £40,000 from Varun Gandhi.
"You say you carried on for month after month in 2008, betraying your sport, for nothing?" asked Mr Pownall. "You received not one penny piece?"
"No, he used and abused me. Spat me out and went running and hiding," said Vincent.
"I believed Chris when he said, 'You will get paid, it might not be today, it might be tomorrow, it might be a few years but it will happen.''"
Vincent also told the court that Daryl Tuffey, a former Black Caps bowler who also played for the Chandigarh Lions, was also not paid by Cairns for underperforming in matches.
Two years after the fixing allegedly occurred in 2008, Vincent said he asked Tuffey whether he had been paid for his alleged role.
"He said that he hadn't received a cent and he would f***ing kill him, that's what Daryl Tuffey said," according to Vincent.
"Or so you say," responded Mr Pownall who accused Vincent of making up stories up about his friend Tuffey.
Cairns is charged with perjury for allegedly lying under oath when he said he never cheated at cricket during a libel case against Lalit Modi in 2012.
Tuffey gave a statement in support of Cairns in the defamation case.
"Where is he today?" asked Vincent, "Is Daryl going to defend Chris again?"
Tuffey is not listed as a witness and was not charged by the Met Police following the investigation.
Mr Justice Sweeney admonished Vincent and reminded him he was to answer questions from counsel, not ask them.
Vincent was also questioned about Cairns' alleged approach to Vincent to underperform in a game for Lancashire, to earn back Cairns' trust after a "disaster" of a previous fix where Vincent scored too many runs.
In particular, Mr Pownall questioned his evidence that Cairns asked him to recruit a fellow Lancashire player Mal Loye.
Loye refused - even after Vincent doubled the price to £20,000 - but Vincent never said that he contacted Cairns to say Loye rebuffed him.
Mr Pownall said with another "disaster looming", surely Vincent would have had to tell Cairns to avoid losing more money.
"It makes sense," said Vincent.
"It makes sense but you've never said that," Mr Pownall replied.
The QC suggested that it was Varun Gandhi - who had already paid him 40,000 pounds - who was giving match-fixing instructions to Vincent, not his client.
Vincent scored 1 run off 5 balls for Lancashire and, in his evidence, said Cairns and his girlfriend Mel (now his wife) celebrated with Vincent and his wife Eleanor at dinner.
There, Vincent said, match-fixing was openly discussed.
But Mr Pownall pointed out that Stuart Law, the Lancashire captain, and his wife organized the dinner and the supposedly corrupt cricketers would not have talked about underperforming in front of others not involved.
Vincent was adamant match-fixing was discussed and this must have happened in breaks where the Laws were not present.
"Six people will tell the story in six different ways," said Vincent.
"Well there's one person telling it a different way and you're lying," said Mr Pownall.
For the first time, Vincent also alleged that Cairns told him to drop a catch and would turn up the television in the room so that no one walking past could hear them.
This had never been disclosed in previous statements to either ICC investigators or the Met Police.
Cairns denies the charges against him. Photo / Getty Images
Mr Pownall said Vincent was "making it up as he went along". The QC suggested Vincent had implicated Cairns in his confession in 2013 in order to "save his own skin" from prosecution when Mal Loye and Murray Goodwin reported him for approaching them.
"Your goose was well and truly cooked," said Mr Pownall.
The court had previously been told that Vincent was not promised immunity from prosecution and Mr Justice Sweeney warned he could refuse to answer questions which might incriminate him of offences in the United Kingdom.
Vincent is expected to finish giving evidence overnight.
Earlier in the day, an emotional Vincent said he failed to disclose having sex with a woman provided as a "gift" from Varun Gandhi in order to protect his relationship with his ex-wife and daughters.
He also feared that photographs or film of the sexual encounter would be used to blackmail him.
The 36-year-old had yesterday confessed a number of match-fixing incidents he was involved with, some in the Indian Cricket League which he accused Chris Cairns of orchestrating.
He then admitted to a number of lies to investigators, committing crimes in the United Kingdom by fixing games, and to sex with a woman provided as a 'present' from an Indian bookie.
On the second day, Mr Pownall carried on questioning Vincent's version of events which he labelled "absurd".
Vincent had earlier given evidence about meeting a man called Varun Gandhi in a hotel room, booked by Gandhi, to discuss a sponsorship deal.
When he arrived, there was no cricket equipment with Gandhi - but a woman.
After 15 minutes or so, Vincent said Gandhi offered him a money and a woman as a "gift" to return for help to fix matches for the Chandigarh Lions.
Vincent said he told his agent Leanne McGoldrick that he left the money inside the safe in Gandhi's room, refused the services of the woman and left.
He also told investigators from the International Cricket Council that he refused the money and the woman.
It wasn't until Vincent was interviewed by the Met Police that he told the full truth - he had sex with the woman before he left the room.
Vincent said he omitted the sexual encounter from his original statement to the ICC because he was worried about damaging his already fragile relationship with his former wife Eleanor Riley.
"My relationship with my ex-wife isn't a healthy one, we've got two young girls, I've inflicted a lot of damage."
At this point, he went quiet and struggled to answer.
"Can I help you?" asked Mr Pownall, to which Vincent replied "No you can't."
"In terms of the cricket side of the fixing, I opened everything up. At the time [of the ICC statement] my relationship with my ex was horrendous, I was trying to be a father at the same time," said Vincent.
"I didn't want to make matters worse."
Vincent later disclosed the sexual encounter to his legal team and the Met Police, who were by then investigating Cairns.
"There could have been hidden cameras in the room for blackmailing, I had to disclose my disgusting behavior," said Vincent.
"My heart and soul is out there. I'm ashamed of what I did. Also not disclosing [what happened]. But I hope you can understand you the reasons why [I didn't]."
At this point, Vincent implored Mr Justice Sweeney to intervene in Mr Pownall's line of questioning.
The QC soon did, but not after suggesting that Vincent only disclosed the sexual encounter because he was worried potential footage from hidden cameras might disclose other lies about the meeting with Gandhi.
"I've never lied to the Met Police. That was my reason in disclosing everything, so I wouldn't be sitting here and you would bring a photograph out."
The case contines.
MAIN POINTS
• QC for Cairns accuses Lou Vincent of lying to "save his own skin". • Vincent concedes he received no payments from Cairns, but took 40,000 pounds from an Indian bookie. • "I can't recall" - Vincent struggled to answer a number of questions under cross-examination • Judge ends hearing early because Vincent is "visibly tired" • Vincent makes new allegations against Cairns, accused of "making it up" • Admits to failing to disclose sex with woman in first ICC interview to protect family.
