‘White powder’: PA ‘saw drugs signs in Nigella’s home’

The former PA accused of defrauding Ms Lawson and Charles Saatchi told a court that she saw evidence of regular drug use by the celebrity cook when she lived with her former husband John Diamond.

Elisabetta Grillo, 41, told the court: “I was cleaning the house and I noticed a little packet on top of the loo, toilet.

“I opened it because it was kind of a little funny envelope and I saw white powder.”

Rolled-up notes

On other occasions she said she found rolled-up notes – on one occasion a £20 note – with white powder on them.

“Once I noticed a credit card with white, and a CD, like a music CD, with white stuff,” she said.

Asked if she had ever seen the TV cook taking drugs, Ms Grillo – who is also known as Lisa – said “No”.

Ms Grillo, who worked for Ms Lawson as an au pair, said she did not confront the 53-year-old about the issue as she did not want to embarrass her.

She said she thought Ms Lawson knew that she knew about her drug-taking, but added: “I did not want to embarrass myself and her.”

Italian-born Grillo, who is accused alongside her sister Francesca of defrauding Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi, said that, when she was living with Ms Lawson in Shepherd’s Bush around a year after she first started working for her and then-husband Mr Diamond, she found a small packet of white powder in the toilet while cleaning.

Jury told: ignore David Cameron

Earlier, the judge told jurors to ignore comments made by Prime Minister David Cameron that were “favourable” to the TV chef.

Judge Robin Johnson told jurors in the trial of former personal assistants Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo it was “of regret” that David Cameron had chosen to comment on a live court case.

The Grillo sisters are accused of defrauding Ms Lawson and her ex-husband Charles Saatchi by spending £685,000 on credit cards belonging to the celebrity couple to buy designer goods and luxury holidays.

The judge told the jury of five women and seven men at Isleworth Crown Court in west London that he had been shown a number of press reports concerning comments made by Mr Cameron about Ms Lawson. He urged them to disregard the comments and reach their verdict on the evidence alone.

He said: “They centre on the prime minister commenting about a prosecution witness, Ms Lawson, during an interview with a journalist.

“It is of regret when people in public office comment about a person who is involved in a trial which is in progress. It is inconceivable that some of your number may not have seen these comments.

“The defendants feel aggrieved as the comments, although they do not specifically deal with matters in the trial, are favourable to Ms Lawson. The fact they may feel aggrieved is not without justification.

“You will realise that what public figures may feel about this case or a witness in this case can have no bearing on the issues that you have to decide.”

Elisabetta Grillo, referred to as Lisa, 41, and sister Francesca, 35, of Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater, west London, each deny a single count of committing fraud by using a company credit card for personal gain between January 1 2008 and December 31 last year.