[7] On 31 July 2013, Saatchi and Lawson were granted a decree nisi effectively ending their 10-year marriage with court documents suggesting that the two had already arrived at a private financial settlement.
As part of their duties, the sisters were expected to make certain purchases on behalf of their employers; they were therefore given Coutts credit cards in their own names on Saatchi's Conarco Partnership company account.
[10] The defence counsel for, Anthony Metzer, QC, instructed through Janes Solicitors,[14] said that while the arrangement was not verbalised, it amounted to a "tacit understanding".
[11] An email sent by Saatchi to Lawson which was read out in court indicated that he believed the Grillos' assertions and later he said that he was "completely astonished by the alleged scale of the drug use set out in the statements".
[20] Lawson admitted to taking cocaine and cannabis but denied she was or is addicted, she stated, "I found it made an intolerable situation tolerable.
"[21] Saatchi's finance director Rahul Gajaar testified that, after the couple's former assistants' alleged unauthorised spending had been uncovered, he suggested that they pay off the debt gradually over a long period.
Sharrine Scholtz, another former employee of Charles Saatchi testified personal versus business spending on the cards were not distinguished.
Scholtz allegedly processed credit statements and allocated spending on items like beauty treatments, clothes, hotels, shopping to business accounts.
When Scholtz wanted to leave Saatchi's employment she alleges she was threatened over taxi fares she had been allowed to claim and was falsely accused of stealing from petty cash.