Nigella Lawson will not face criminal charges despite admitting in court that she took both cocaine and cannabis, Scotland Yard has confirmed.
The celebrity chef, 53, revealed during the trial of her former aides Elisabetta and Francesca Grillo that she had turned to the class A drug after discovering her late husband, John Diamond, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She also admitted using the drug again in 2010.
However, after the Met Police investigated her revelations, they decided she should not face further action as ‘serious public interest concerns’ existed, which could prevent witnesses from being entirely truthful in court.
The Scotland Yard statement said: ‘The decision has been taken based on a number of factors, including the need for police action to be proportionate, whether further action would be in the public interest, and after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.
‘There are serious public interest concerns about the message any prosecution would send out to potential witnesses and victims in the future.
‘Whilst witnesses clearly cannot simply admit to any offence under oath without consequences, this has to be balanced with the requirement for victims and witnesses to tell the truth.
‘Further police activity may deter victims from being candid with police and in court for fear of future investigation.’
Ms Lawson, 53, said her second period of cocaine use began after she was ‘subjected to intimate terrorism’ by her then husband, Charles Saatchi.
She also admitted smoking cannabis during the final year of their doomed marriage.
