The Grillo case (AKA Nigella & Saatchi)

[BerylStreep]

So the last thread on the Grillo case is full.

I have taken the liberty of starting a new one here for people's thoughts as the case unfolds.

I'm just listening to Sky's coverage of this which is exploring the impact on Nigella's career in the US after the revelations about her drug-taking.

They're making her sound like Hunter S Thompson in a pinny.

Which I'm guessing is exactly what CS wanted.

I don't know - I don't feel any differently about Nigella now to how I felt about her two or three years ago.

I really liked How to Eat and How to be a Domestic Goddess when they came out (they are somewhat passé now) and I regularly consult Feast, which is a very inspired book for multicultural lifestyles. But the actual persona of Nigella has been going downhill for ages...

Hopefully CS & NL will take their media circus away now and disappear up their own jacksies for a long time.

Nigella never traded on a squeaky clean image though - she always worked an angle that there was something a little bit "naughty" or "tittilating" about her - I don't think this will do her career any harm at all. Now as well as come hither eyes, curves that go on forever and thumb/finger sucking, there is a little bit of implied "naughty what you fancy" in the background. Women love and support her and men WTF her - even more now.

And if I'm wrong and it does affect her stateside career a little, well its hardly a disaster is it? How much fame money and status can one person possibly use/want/need?

OT but fucking excellent fail by Sky News just now.

They had a guest on that Kay Burley thought was going to talk about the Apollo Theatre ceiling collapse and he said: 'Er, sorry, I thought I was going to talk about BAE Systems.'

Kay handled it much better than other things, like asking the wife of the bastard who murdered prostitutes in Ipswich whether if she'd had given it up more often he'd wouldn't have been inclined to kill other women, for instance.

Still not as good as when I was with my mum in a BBC studio and a producer asked her if she was Bonnie Greer and was there to talk about the death of Norman Mailer.

My mum was white and could have given Bonnie a good 30 years.

Plus she was really deaf and thought he said Norma Major. I had to grab her arm and drag her down because she was going to go for it.

I should have let her. She'd have got an appearance fee.

Sorry for the hijack. I'm not really

limited

I think after this trial she'll get more support not less, if MN is anything to go by.

The sisters will need the money from sales of their story, because if HMRC does their job and tots up all the tax owed on these 'authorised' benefits in kind, there will be quite a large tax bill. They should be liable for 40-50% income tax on sums that large.

(Can't remember over how long a period the expenditure took place).

Also wonder what the ramifications will be of trying to claim back Employer's NI from whoever was supposed to be employing them, and presumably penalties for incorrect completion of P11d etc. etc.

The sisters will need the money from sales of their story, because if HMRC does their job and tots up all the tax owed on these 'authorised' benefits in kind, there will be quite a large tax bill. They should be liable for 40-50% income tax on sums that large.

OMG yes, you're right. I wonder if HMRC will pursue it. They issued a wounded statement this morning about going after easy targets rather than the Amazons of this world - or maybe that was Customs and Excise.

The Grillos' arrangement does seem like an open goal for HMRC.

btw If I was going to take someone for the best part of three quarters of a million quid I'd buy something a bit more lasting than handbags.

Saatchi must have been so pleased for the opportunity to drag Nigella's name through the mud like that - horrible man.

#Team Nigella

I think the bigger influence on Nigella's career will be whether she can continue to produce the goods. If she makes good TV/writes good books, who cares? She doesn't appear to have done anything wrong except picked the wrong man.

550k over four years is tax of at least 40% for Francesca

Nigella has released a statement.

"I am disappointed but unsurprised by this verdict.

"Over the three-week trial the jury was faced with a ridiculous sideshow of false allegations about drug use which made focus on the actual criminal trial impossible.

"My experience as a witness was deeply disturbing. When false claims about habitual drug use were introduced I did everything possible to ensure the CPS was aware of the sustained background campaign deliberately designed to destroy my reputation.

"During the trial not one witness claimed to see me take drugs and not one of my three assistants was asked about these claims by the defence, despite being cross-examined at length. I did my civic duty, only to be maliciously vilified without the right to respond. I can only hope that my experience will highlight the need for a reform that will give witnesses some rights to rebut false claims made against them.

"Even more harrowing was seeing my children subjected to extreme allegations in court without any real protection or representation. For this I cannot forgive the court process.

"When I gave evidence I spoke of my regret at having to talk about the circumstances of the end of my marriage and also voiced concern about a campaign to circulate false allegations carried out over the course of this summer, then circulated as witness statements from the Grillos by a publicist, and eventually added to the defence of this prosecution in November. That concern remains.

"While this has been a difficult and upsetting time for both me and my family I would like to thank my friends, family and all those who have expressed support throughout this ordeal"

I feel very sorry for what she's been through. I think she's been stitched up.

Now for round two? The prosecution of the Grillo sisters for blackmail and conspiracy to blackmail?

The children's names have been dragged through the courts. That is pretty unforgivable.

Well I've heard on the BBC news (about an hour ago) that they are still inside the court room and negotiations were taking place for "exclusive interviews".

They seemed to have got over their panic attacks pretty quickly, if they're so involved in negotiations that they can't leave the courthouse.

Oh i wish they would be charged for conspiracy to blackmail.

If it is in the Daily Fail how about a campaign to hide as many copies of the relevant editions as possible around stores?

I already do it whenever I can, tucking them underneath other papers, kicking them under displays and other such nonsense.

A relative used to own a newsagent. It is amazing how quickly the DM used to 'sell out'. She used to send back piles of them under 'sale or return' but they never investigated the anomaly in local sales . She reckons she converted hundreds of villagers to other newspapers through stealth, bribery and covert tactics!

Yes I await the Daily Fail / This Morning expose stories from the Grillo sisters followed by an appearance on I'm a celebrity next year.

They've a life style to maintain.

Hopefully they'll be taxed on their bonuses.

I don't think hmrc will be able to get them as one of their main defence arguments seemed to be that a lot of the spending wasn't for them personally but was work related, household stuff, stuff for the kids.

As they didnt seem to have been required to file expenses, keep records, etc then Lawson/Saatchi have been unable to say what or who the purchases were for. If they can't say then neither can hmrc.

Oh Mignonette I never thought of doing that - genius!

HMRC should also be forensically going over CS's company accounts. These were expenses charged to his company cards after all, not to him personally. And further it is up to the employer, is it not, to tot up how many 'benefits' and employee has received and declare it to them by way of an official tax form?

Bet that never happen. Wonder why?

I hope NL sets some bad ass lawyers onto the lots of them.

Love her stmt.

I thought it was blackmail mignonette.

But then if someone says 'this arrangement was offered to me; I didn't ask for it but I accepted it' I suppose it's not blackmail.

I do feel very sorry for Nigella. But I think she'll be all right.

I hope.

She seems quite tough. Not that people should be tough and just get over shit.

HMRC has pretty extensive powers re: accessing records and all their expenditure would have been recorded electronically as it was on cards.