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| Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi 'lied in court', Elisabetta Grillo says | Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi 'lied in court', Elisabetta Grillo says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A former personal assistant of Nigella Lawson on trial for defrauding the TV cook and her ex-husband Charles Saatchi has accused them of lying in court. | A former personal assistant of Nigella Lawson on trial for defrauding the TV cook and her ex-husband Charles Saatchi has accused them of lying in court. |
| Elisabetta Grillo, 41, told Isleworth Crown Court that she was the only one telling the truth in the case. | Elisabetta Grillo, 41, told Isleworth Crown Court that she was the only one telling the truth in the case. |
| Ms Grillo also said that Ms Lawson's other PAs, who have given evidence in court, had also lied. | Ms Grillo also said that Ms Lawson's other PAs, who have given evidence in court, had also lied. |
| Former PAs Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, who are sisters, deny fraudulently using credit cards. | Former PAs Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, who are sisters, deny fraudulently using credit cards. |
| Ms Grillo told the court that Ms Lawson gave her permission to pay for designer shoes and a language course on a credit card provided by Mr Saatchi. | Ms Grillo told the court that Ms Lawson gave her permission to pay for designer shoes and a language course on a credit card provided by Mr Saatchi. |
| The court also heard that Ms Grillo did not mention that Ms Lawson had taken drugs in her original defence statement made in August because she "felt a remnant of sympathy" towards the TV chef. | The court also heard that Ms Grillo did not mention that Ms Lawson had taken drugs in her original defence statement made in August because she "felt a remnant of sympathy" towards the TV chef. |
| 'Fear of Saatchi' | 'Fear of Saatchi' |
| In November, before the start of the trial, she provided a supplementary statement which included allegations of drug use. | In November, before the start of the trial, she provided a supplementary statement which included allegations of drug use. |
| Reading that statement in court, Ms Grillo's barrister Anthony Metzer QC said: "The defendant will assert that the prosecution witness Nigella Lawson habitually indulged in the use of class A and class B drugs in addition to the abuse of prescription drugs throughout the time that the defendant was employed in the household." | |
| The statement added that Ms Lawson consented to the Grillos spending as they were "intimately connected to her private life and were aware of the drug use which she wanted to keep from her then-husband Charles Saatchi". | The statement added that Ms Lawson consented to the Grillos spending as they were "intimately connected to her private life and were aware of the drug use which she wanted to keep from her then-husband Charles Saatchi". |
| Ms Lawson has previously told the court she had taken cocaine and cannabis, but was not an addict. | Ms Lawson has previously told the court she had taken cocaine and cannabis, but was not an addict. |
| Ms Grillo and her sister Francesca are accused of spending £685,000 on credit cards belonging to Mr Saatchi and Ms Lawson on themselves. | Ms Grillo and her sister Francesca are accused of spending £685,000 on credit cards belonging to Mr Saatchi and Ms Lawson on themselves. |
| The court heard that Ms Grillo believed that Ms Lawson maintained that she did not consent to the defendant's spending because of her "fear of Mr Saatchi". | The court heard that Ms Grillo believed that Ms Lawson maintained that she did not consent to the defendant's spending because of her "fear of Mr Saatchi". |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |