Tweet
divdiv class=story-body readability=36 span class=story-date#13; span class=date27 November 2013/span#13;span class=time-textLast updated at /spanspan class=time08:47 ET/span#13; #13;/span#13;#13; #13;#13;#13; #13; #13; #13; #13; p class=introduction id=story_continues_1There was a culture of secrecy in Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson's marriage, a court has heard./p#13; pIt emerged during legal argument in the case involving their personal assistants who are accused of fraud./p#13; pSisters Francesca, 35, and Elisabetta Grillo, 41, deny spending £300,000 on the couple's credit cards./p#13; pIsleworth Crown Court has already heard how Mr Saatchi accused Ms Lawson of allowing their staff to spend to cover her use of drugs./p#13; span class=cross-head'Manipulation of court'/span#13; pThe judge ruled the case against the Grillo sisters can go ahead, despite the defence lawyer arguing his clients would not get a fair trial./p#13; pJudge Robin Johnson said: I consider, with the right rulings and the ability to monitor the process of the court during the process of the trial, a fair trial can be achieved./p#13; pThe sisters, both of Bayswater, west London, deny fraudulently using company credit cards to buy luxuries, including designer clothes and first-class air travel, between 2008 and 2012./p#13; #13; pAnthony Metzer QC said his clients would not be able to receive a fair trial as there has been a manipulation of the court process by the two main prosecution witnesses in this case./p#13; pHe said: It's a convenient forum for Mr Saatchi and Ms Lawson to rehearse disputed issues between them... in the criminal courts where, of course, the possibility of libel is not possible./p#13; pIf Mr Saatchi is telling the truth, then Ms Lawson is a habitual criminal./p#13; span class=cross-headHeld by throat/span#13; pDuring the hearing Mr Metzer read out part of a statement from Mr Saatchi, which said: It was only during the break-up that I became aware that she was taking drugs when we were married./p#13; pI can't remember precisely when but I think it was in June 2013, at the time of the well-publicised incident at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair./p#13; pIt was subsequently confirmed to me by other people in and around the household./p#13; pMr Saatchi and Ms Lawson broke up in the summer after pictures were published showing the millionaire art dealer holding his wife by the throat at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair./p#13; pMr Saatchi accepted a police caution for assault./p#13; pEarlier, Ms Lawson a href=https://twitter.com/Nigella_Lawson/status/405647416575426560tweeted/a: Holiday Hotcake: the perfect recipe to show thanks for all your support amp; to those who hashtag #teamNigella. /p#13; /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center