'I saw Nigella with white powder on her nose, but she claimed it was make-up': Former PA tells court she found substance in chef's bag Francesca Grillo, who along with her sister Elisabetta is on trial accused of defrauding Ms Lawson and former husband Charles Saatchi, said she never saw Ms Lawson taking drugs although she did find evidence of drug use on many occasions, she claimed. Ms Grillo, 35, also claimed that Ms Lawson would sometimes come downstairs with white powder on her nose and Francesca would point it out to her, but would be told by the cook it was make-up. Asked by defence counsel Karina Arden if the substance could have been make-up, Grillo replied that it was "too white to be make-up." Asked how often she found the banknotes, Grillo said: "Frequently. Every time I went through her handbag there was some notes. It was very frequent. Asked if she ever raised the issue of drugs, she replied: "No. I didn't think it was my place. Ms Lawson would tell Francesca "you're good at finding things" and ask her to look for belongings in her handbags, the jury heard. She told the court Ms Lawson mislaid things "very often," adding: "Keys, her phone, her mustard." Ms Grillo said she first saw the rolled-up notes at the food writer's Shepherd's Bush home, in the kitchen after a party and also in a guest bedroom. Francesca Grillo also told the court that Mr Saatchi had a "personal vendetta" against her and her sister Elisabetta. The court heard Mr Gajjar had asked the sisters to sign a letter the previous day, admitting dishonesty and promising to continue working for Mr Saatchi and Ms Lawson for a reduced salary for an unlimited period of time. The Grillos had not signed the letter and asked for a copy of it while they considered their options, the jury heard. After she took a cab to Mr Saatchi's house, Francesca said he told her she was "stupid" and asked her: "Why didn't you listen to Rahul?" She said she was accused by her then-boss of buying a house on the credit card, which she denied. Francesca, of Italian descent, told the court: "He was banging on the table... He said I would end up in handcuffs. She said the situation became "quite scary" as Mr Saatchi told her: "Hide anywhere in Italy but I will find you and destroy you." She added: "He said he was going to destroy me and hunt me down. That was his words. His voice was shouting and he was banging on the table and accusing me of various things that were not true. The more he got upset, the more I got frightened. You don't cross Charles Saatchi, everyone knows that. Grillo said being accused of dishonesty left her feeling upset. "I felt betrayed because I had been honest all throughout my employment," she said. I had been honest about my expenditure so I didn't know where that was coming from. I don't get upset easily, but that upset me, and even until today. Francesca Grillo and her sister Elisabetta are facing allegations that they defrauded the celebrity couple by spending £685,000 on credit cards belonging to them. The court has heard the siblings bought designer clothes, shoes and luxury holidays on the cards. The Grillos, 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.