TV chef Nigella Lawson today told a jury that her infamous row with her ex-husband Charles Saatchi outside Scott's restuarant was over having grandchildren.

Shocking images of the couple's argument, in which Mr Saatchi had his hand on the food writer's throat, were published this summer, quickly followed by news of their divorce.

Mother-of-two Ms Lawson, 53, today told Isleworth Crown Court said that the row was sparked when she spoke about having grandchildren, with Mr Saatchi telling her 'I'm the only person you should be concerned with'.

However, the chef told the court that Mr Saatchi had 'told everyone' he was taking cocaine out of her nose after he was photographed holding her neck at the Mayfair restaurant.

Other images, taken by freelance photographer Jean-Paul and published in a Sunday newspaper in June, showed Mr Saatchi repeatedly tweaking and twisting Ms Lawson’s nose outside the Mayfair restaurant, and even putting a finger in one of her nostrils.

She appeared tearful throughout the exchange, but stayed with him to finish their meal.

The photographer who took them timed the incident at just under half an hour, describing it as ‘27 minutes of madness’.

At the time Mr Saatchi laughed off the incident as a 'playful tiff', and accepted a police caution for assault.

However, in July, former advertising tycoon Mr Saatchi announced via the Mail On Sunday that he would be divorcing Ms Lawson after 10 years of marriage because she refused to defend his reputation following the publication of the photographs.

Giving evidence last week at the trial of her two former personal assistants who are accused of fraud, Mr Saatchi denied 'throttling' his ex-wife, and instead said he was trying to 'make her focus' on what he was saying.

He added that the couple were not talking about her alleged drug abuse at the time.

'I was not gripping, strangling or throttling her,' he told the court.

'I was holding her head by the neck to make her focus, can we be clear?'

'Was it about her drug use? No.'

When asked by Anthony Metzer QC, defending, if he became aware of Ms Lawson's alleged drug-taking around the time of the 'Scott's Restaurant incident', he said it was indeed around that time.

Today it was Ms Lawson's turn to give evidence at the trial of former employees Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, who are accused of using credit cards loaned to them to spend more than £685,000.

She claimed the incident outside Scott's was actually sparked when she commented on a person walking by with a baby.

Referring to the infamous incident, Ms Lawson said: 'He [Charles Saatchi] told everyone that he was taking cocaine out of my nose.

'But what actually happened was that somebody walked by with a very cute baby in a stroller and I said "I am so looking forward to having grandchildren", and he grabbed me by the throat and said "I am the only person you should be concerned with. I am the only person who should be giving you pleasure".

'That is what happened.'

The photographs of the incident were not shown to Ms Lawson as she took the witness stand, although they have previously been shown to the jury.

Judge Robin Johnson and Mr Metzer clashed when Mr Metzer wanted to show Ms Lawson one of the pictures.

Ms Lawson had pleaded: 'Please don't make this go on for two days.'
Judge Johnson said: 'I'm not having photographs put to this witness.'

When asked again about the incident, Ms Lawson said she had already given a direct, 'almost verbatim' account of what happened, and said she did not intend to speak about it again.

Ms Lawson said she had not been beaten, but said she was left with 'emotional scars', which were 'very wounding and very difficult and of course we know how things accelerated'.

She said she believes Mr Saatchi had a mindset of 'Get her, I don't care what it takes' in relation to her and the current legal proceedings, and she told the court that he feels betrayed by her.

In reference to Mr Saatchi possibly suing her if she did not appear as a witness in this trial, Ms Lawson said it was 'just another form of bullying'.

She said he is on a campaign to 'ruin me in any way', whether financial or otherwise.

'I think he likes everyone to do what he wants,' she said.

Ms Lawson added that she feels there is a 'witch hunt' against her, and that she is on trial with no counsel and 'no rights'.

It is alleged that between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012, the Grillo sisters abused their positions by using a credit card for personal gain.

The pair, of Bayswater, west London, both deny the charge against them.

The case continues.