Cricketer cleared of forcing meat and alcohol on player

A former first class cricketer has been cleared of force-feeding meat and alcohol to a young player knowing it was against his religious beliefs.

Graham Gardner was alleged to have targeted Parag Gadhia at Stenhousemuir Cricket Club, Falkirk, between 1 January 1989 and 31 December 1991.

But the charge was found not proven after a trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Frank Gill said that the evidence from witnesses in the case was not entirely reliable.

Mr Gardner was alleged to have seized hold of the player, thrown him to the ground and pinned him there during the incident.

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Mr Gadhia, a vegetarian Hindu, claimed he gained "confidence" to report what he said had happened in November last year after a series of revelations concerning Yorkshire Cricket Club.

The court heard he contacted the Metropolitan Police, who then passed his allegations to Police Scotland.

Mr Gadhia agreed that in his initial statement to the Met, he had stated that a third man had been present at the incident, but removed the man's name from his later statement to Police Scotland as he "was not 100% convinced" whether he had been there or not.

He further admitted that he did now drink alcohol, and had been jailed for seven years in 2003 for causing death by dangerous driving while drunk.

Mr Gardner, a gardener, of Larbert, Stirlingshire, denied the charge.

'I didn't have a clue'

In evidence he said he had "no idea" Mr Gadhia was vegetarian, had "no issue" with people of South Asian descent, and that the incident had never happened.

Mr Gardner said the first he heard about Mr Gadhia's claim was in January when the police turned up at his door.

He said: "I told them I had no idea what they were on about. I didn't have a clue."

Sheriff Gill said there were "a number of material inconsistencies" between the evidence of the two Crown witnesses - Mr Gadhia and his friend, Colin Howden, now 51, who had said he was present and saw what had happened.

He said: "I do not find the evidence of the two Crown witnesses to be entirely reliable."

Mr Gardner is former a club cricketer for Stenhousemuir, and made a single appearance for Scotland against Ireland in 1996.