Nigella Lawson gives evidence: live Miss Arden suggested that cash withdrawals from the credit card were often for money given to the couple's children for meals, train fares and other sundries, which added up to £29,000 in one year, or £200 per child per week. Miss Lawson said "I dispute completely" the figure. She also accused Miss Arden of "despicable" tactics when she asked whether her daughter Cosima and Mr Saatchi's daughter Phoebe "used to fight a lot." 13.09 Miss Lawson told the court that she never confided in Francesca about her past use of cocaine. The TV cook claims she snorted the drug on six occasions with her first husband John Diamond when he was terminally ill with cancer in 2001. 13.07 The celebrity chef admitted there were "no written-down rules" about the use of Mr Saatchi's company credit card by the PAs. "It was known, because it was spoken, that they were not for personal use except if directed," she said. Miss Lawson said she would occasionally treat staff by browsing online to find an item they wanted. She added: "I think any normal person would think that someone else's credit card could not be used freely for someone else." 12.59 Miss Lawson told the court Mr Saatchi was "very much a cash man" and would have given Francesca money to take on the trips for their children. 12.49 The celebrity chef also told jurors the Grillo sisters were treated "like family" and took Miss Lawson and Mr Saatchi's children from their previous marriages on up to five foreign holidays per year - including to New York. 12.47 Charles Saatchi "didn't want me washing up" says Miss Lawson, so he would phone Miss Grillo to do it. 12.45 Miss Lawson told the court Charles Saatchi was very particular about food - with Miss Grillo "very involved" in buying his eggs and going out for his Frappucino. 12.39 Revealing more detail about the role of the Grillo sisters, Miss Lawson admitted she rang Francesca Grillo while the former aide was on holiday in Spain to ask her where the television remote was. 12.35 The jury hears more details of the private lives of Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi, who had a 12ftx12ft silver room full of tea services and candlesticks. Miss Lawson told the courtroom she was happy to see the back of the room. 12.32 In the latest from Gordon Rayner, Nigella Lawson tells the court she was only allowed to have dinner parties every two years. See his full story here Miss Lawson said: "I would say I had dinner parties once on a two-year basis at Eaton Square (the marital home in west London). I was not happy about that. I can hardly remember a dinner party at Eaton Square. Mr Saatchi likes to take people out to Scott's restaurant. It was following a row at Scott's, when Mr Saatchi was photographed grabbing his wife by the throat, that the couple split up and later divorced. Mr Saatchi was also particular about his food. While the weekly shopping would be ordered from Waitrose and delivered by Ocado, Miss Grillo was "very involved in the purchasing of Mr Saatchi's eggs" and would also be sent out for his Frappucino coffees. She said Francesca and her sister and co-defendant Elisabetta would, like other aides, order food for the house. 12.27 Despite being known as the 'Domestic Goddess' Nigella Lawson tells the court her former husband only allowed ger to have a dinner party every two years 12.23 Karina Arden accused Miss Lawson of coming under "pressure" from Mr Saatchi to testify in the case and was "in a situation damned if you did damned if you didn't. You were pressured to come to court. She also accused the celebrity chef of using the court case to explain herself to "the world's press" in a bid to salvage her career. But Miss Lawson insisted she had decided to give evidence because it was her "civic duty." 12.19 Miss Lawson was quizzed over why she went to the police and tried to withdraw her prosecution statement on October 10 this year. In her withdrawal statement, read out in court, Nigella accused Mr Saatchi of setting out to destroy her. She said: "Since making the witness statement I've divorced from my husband Charles Saatchi, part of the reason for the divorce was the well publicised incident outside Scotts restaurant. My husband is very unfavourably disposed to me and has used his best endeavours and contacts with the press to publish stories that are untrue and would be terribly damaging to publish. The very fact of publishing would create the damage. But she later decided to testify in the case after the Crown Prosecution lawyers confirmed they would go ahead with the case. 11.53 Miss Lawson is being asked about foreign trips where Francesca Grillo took members of the household abroad, Sky News is reporting 11.48 Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi (GETTY) Ms Lawson said she "became involved" with Mr Saatchi after Mr Diamond died. "It would be fair to say that not very long after my first husband died I began to become involved with Mr Saatchi," she said. 11.46 During cross examination Miss Lawson was asked about the presents she used to give her staff, and why she did so. She said this was "to show gratitude or because I like them, and it pleases me to give presents when I can afford it." When asked by Ms Arden if she felt it was important to keep her team happy, Ms Lawson said: "You must always thank someone for doing a good job. It's not enough just to pay them. Everyone in life needs to feel appreciated. Ms Lawson said she tried "as much as possible to foster a friendly atmosphere at work," but added that it "wasn't always possible" and that there were "some hostilities." 11.45 Miss Lawson told the court her first use of cocaine with Mr Diamond was in 1999. The celebrity cook, standing in the witness box wearing the same high-heeled boots as yesterday, took issue with Ms Arden referring to her as "the lady of the house." Repeating the term back to the barrister, Ms Lawson said: "I don't think it is the job of a woman to run a house." She said it was the job of herself and Mr Saatchi. When asked if the multimillionaire Saaatchi Gallery owner really had an interest in the house, Ms Lawson said: "Absolutely. He would go round and point out marks he wanted removed. He is a person with a tremendous eye for detail. Ms Lawson said that among other duties, Francesca would organise Mr Saatchi's frappuccinos and sew buttons on his suits. Ms Arden asked if Francesca did the food shopping, to which Ms Lawson replied: "I do a fair amount myself." Ms Arden then said: This is no criticism of you as a domestic goddess. 11.39 The television chef said she had been frank in her answers because she wanted to make sure she wasn't bullied. I have been frank, I have said what I needed to say and I would rather be honest, if ashamed, and explain about the drug usage but I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to be bullied and have lies told about an incident that took place in a very humiliating public place. 11.36 Miss Lawson told the jury she does all her own tweets, and her aides do not run her Twitter account. She added that her PAs do appear in her television programmes. 11.30 Here's the latest from Gordon Rayner, from Isleworth Crown Court. Nigella Lawson has denied that her ex-husband Charles Saatchi was wiping cocaine off her nose when a row in a restaurant that led to their divorce. Karin Arden, defending Francesca Grillo, asked Miss Lawson why her admission to taking drugs had not appeared on a police statement she gave when she said she no longer wanted to give evidence. She had said in the statement that she did not want to give evidence because Mr Saatchi was spreading "false" claims about drug-taking, and Miss Arden said: "You were not frank with police officers. You told a lie because it's not correct to say stories about drugs were untrue. Miss Lawson said: "It was true in that what my ex-husband had been saying was he was getting cocaine out of my nose at Scott's and I had been completely off my head for 10 years." Mimicking the motion of Mr Saatchi pinching her nose, she said: "He went like this. It was not only because I hadn't taken cocaine but it was also the case that Mr Saatchi was not examining me for cocaine. That was a story that he made up afterwards because I would not go back and clear his name. 11.28 Nigella Lawson tells the court Charles Saatchi was not wiping cocaine from her nose during the row in Scott's restaurant in Mayfair 11.08 Nigella Lawson told the court she would rather be "honest and ashamed" than "bullied with lies" after revealing details of her past drug use. The TV cook said she was "not proud" after admitting she has taken cocaine and cannabis but denied her admission was "damage limitation." I'm not proud of the fact I have taken drugs but that does not make me a drug addict or a habitual drug user," she said. Ms Lawson said she objected to stories "peddled" by her ex-husband Charles Saatchi, including that he was checking her nose for cocaine when he was photographed gripping her throat outside Scott's restaurant in central London. The fact is, I would rather be honest and ashamed... I wasn't going to be bullied with lies. Mr Saatchi was not examining me for cocaine. That's a story he made up afterwards to clear his name. 10.54 The celebrity chef has told the court she is not proud of taking drugs, BBC News is reporting. 10.45 Nigella Lawson has told the court she didn't want to attend the hearing becasue she felt she would be on trial. She has denied using the case as a way to explain herself. 10.26 Sky News is reporting that legal discussions are delaying the resumption of the cross examination, but this is expected to start again soon. 10.23 Nigella Lawson and sisters Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo arrive at Isleworth Crown Court (Geoff Pugh) Nigella Lawson arrives at Isleworth Crown Court (Oli Scarff/Getty Images) 09.47 Nigella Lawson has arrived at court for the second day to finish giving evidence in the trial of two of her former personal assistants. As she got out of her vehicle at Isleworth Crown Court in west London, she was met by photographers, broadcasters and reporters. 09.45 Good morning and welcome to the live blog following the second day of evidence from Nigella Lawson in the the case of Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo, her former aides, who are accused of fraud. The Italian sisters are accused of committing fraud by abusing their positions by using a company credit card for personal gain between 2008 and 2012. Miss Lawson is expected to be cross examined this morning by Karin Arden, who is defending Francesca Grillo. The Grillo sisters, of Kensington Gardens Square, Bayswater, west London, deny the charge against them. Yesterday the celebrity chef admitted to using cocaine and spoke of the "intimate terrorism" she suffered at the hands of her former husband, Charles Saatchi. She admitted taking cocaine on six occasions with her late husband Mr Diamond but refuted allegations that she was regularly taking drugs. The idea that I am a drug addict or habitual user of cocaine is absolutely ridiculous.