Nigella Lawson's former assistant Francesca Grillo denies being fantasist
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Version 0 of 1. Francesca Grillo, a former personal assistant to Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi, has denied being a liar or fantasist. Jane Carpenter, prosecuting the 36-year-old Italian for fraud at Isleworth crown court, said Grillo had fabricated allegations about the TV chef's use of cocaine in an attempt to avoid conviction. Grillo is accused of a £580,000 fraud by abuse of position, alongside her sister, Elisabetta, who is accused of £105,000 of illegitimate expenditure on credit cards and taxi accounts used by Saatchi and Lawson's household. "You have lied about seeing rolled up notes, lied about seeing them have white powder on them," Carpenter said. "No, I did not," said Francesca Grillo. "I have no reason to lie. That is just the truth." "You have lied to assist your defence, haven't you?" asked Carpenter. "No, I have not," Grillo said. The jury heard that Grillo had written a note to Saatchi's accountant after being confronted with allegations that she used the card dishonestly, asking: "Please let me know when I can start paying money back." The jury submitted a written question, asking Grillo: "Why did you offer to pay money back for items purchased if they were authorised?" She said that after being confronted by Rahul Gajjar, Saatchi's accountant, about the spending she felt she "wanted to do something without the police being involved". Grillo added: "At that point I didn't know the amount or if I was accused of anything. It was like a gesture like I would have done with my family." She said her talks with Gajjar had left her feeling "weird and strange". Karine Arden, representing Francesca Grillo, asked her: "Was it in your mind that you had done anything dishonest?" "No, not at all," Grillo said. She said she suggested she would go to the police at this point only because "I thought they would protect me. I didn't even know what I was dealing with." Starting his summing up, Judge Robin Johnson told the jury they must decide whether the defendants had used their cards dishonestly: "You decide which witness is truthful and which is not." In her closing statement Carpenter reminded the jury they had heard evidence Grillo had offered to take an evening job to help pay back the money, had decided to start leaving the credit cards at work and had started to use an alternative taxi company. Carpenter said the Grillo sisters used the cards fraudulently "time and time and time again, spending more as they grew bolder and greedier". "The suggestion they were sanctioned by Miss Lawson or Mr Saatchi is utter nonsense," she said. The trial continues. Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |