The torment of Nigella: Police probe after husband 'attacks' her in restaurant



Charles Saatchi repeatedly grabbed wife Nigella Lawson by the neck

TV cook and her husband, 70, were sat at favourite Mayfair restaurant

At one point, Nigella seemed to plead with him as he held her throat

Later it was claimed the 53-year-old left Scott's restaurant in tears



Even for a couple whose relationship is said to be volatile, the pictures are shocking.

Sat at their favourite Mayfair restaurant, Charles Saatchi repeatedly grabs his wife Nigella Lawson by the neck.

At one point, the TV cook seems to plead with her 70-year-old husband as he holds her throat and her eyes widen. Later it was claimed she left the restaurant in tears.

Alarming: Shocking pictures have emerged of Nigella Lawson, right, apparently being choked by her husband millionaire Charles Saatchi, left, during a row in a restaurant. Yesterday morning the couple both remained tight-lipped as they left their multi-million pound London home, pictured, separately

Anxious: Nigella Lawson looked stressed as she climbed into a waiting taxi with her teenage son Bruno. The photos appear to show the couple embroiled in a major dispute as they sit outside Scott's in Mayfair Yesterday, the pair declined to comment after they left their converted brewery home separately by taxis. However, police revealed that they were likely to question them about the incident. The Metropolitan Police said that although no official complaint had been made by Miss Lawson, officers were ‘aware’ of the pictures and ‘inquiries are in hand to establish the facts of the incident’. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Wendi Deng is 'totally blindsided' as Murdoch plots a quiet... Date night Dave takes Sam to see The Queen: Camerons watch... Share this article Share This means Mr Saatchi is almost certain to be questioned by detectives within weeks about exactly what took place in the restaurant. The apparent assault is said to have put huge strain on their ten-year marriage, his third and her second. A witness was quoted in a Sunday newspaper as saying: ‘It was utterly shocking to watch. Charles Saatchi arriving at his Chelsea Flat yesterday morning. He re-emerged a short time later, leaving their mansion off the King's Road in Chelsea, west London, shortly after 10am

Leaving home: On four occasions, Mr Saatchi, 70, appears to reach over and grab TV chef Nigella around the throat ‘I have no doubt she was scared. It was horrific, really. She was very tearful and was constantly dabbing her eyes. Nigella was very, very upset. ‘She had a real look of fear on her face. And yet she kissed him. She appeared to be a woman who loves him but was clearly unable to stop him being abusive, frightening and disrespectful to her.’

Neighbours of the couple also spoke of their ‘volatile’ relationship. One said they had previously heard the pair having a bitter argument loudly in the street. But the neighbours dismissed talks of a split saying they had been spotted walking happily hand-in-hand during the weekend. One said: ‘They’re both characters and if they did this I’m sure they made up straight away as I’ve seen them together looking happily recently. Shock: The couple, pictured above during a visit to Scott's in April this year, where the alleged attack took place

Fiery: In the past Miss Lawson has admitted she and Saatchi have their fiery moments. 'I'll go quiet when he explodes, and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness.'

Dining out: The couple frequently dine out in the capital as seen in a photo taken earlier this year. The famous couple always choose an outside table at Scott's so the art collector can smoke copious cigarettes Disturbing: The pictures, published in the Sunday People, appear to show Mr Saatchi grabbing Nigella by the throat ‘They argue in the streets and are volatile at times but that could just be their form of passion. Those pictures do look unpleasant though.’ The couple, who are thought to be worth £128million, had just finished eating outdoors at their favourite seafood restaurant Scott’s last Sunday when Mr Saatchi is reported to have started a heated and angry exchange with his wife. Miss Lawson, 53, looked tearful as he grabbed her neck four times, first with his left hand and then both. As he held her neck, they clutched hands across the table before Mr Saatchi tweaked her nose and used both wrists to push her face. Afterwards, Miss Lawson dabbed her tearful eyes in a napkin as he tapped his cigarettes impatiently upon the table. She then gulped a whole glass of wine before appearing to attempt to pacify him with a trembling voice. During the attempted reconciliation, she leaned over the table and kissed his right cheek. Mr Saatchi, who helped mastermind former prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s election campaigns, then marched off from the table before his wife followed while wiping away her tears. It is not the first time the couple have been seen arguing publicly, but the first that has apparently involved him manhandling her. Miss Lawson has recently spent a lot of time travelling across the US promoting her new book and successful television series. The couple live in a £12million former 18th century brewery and gas engineer works that they have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds converting since they bought the seven-bedroom home in 2010. Fame: Miss Lawson studied at Oxford University and is estimated to have earned £15million from her cookery career Fame: Famous for her flirty cooking shows, the mother-of-two rose to fame in 1999 when she began hosting Nigella Bites on Channel 4. Tension: The television chef has previously been seen arguing with her husband in London Tension: Miss Lawson looked angry as she spoke to Mr Saatchi at their home in Eaton Square a few years ago First marriage: Miss Lawson married Mr Saatchi after her first husband journalist John Diamond died in 2001 aged 41, from throat cancer - she had her two children with him, Cosima, now 19, and Bruno, 17



Nigella says that she has a happy family life after finding love again with Charles Saatchi

Second marriage: Before marrying the famous chef Charles Saatchi was married to Kay Saatchi. Kay was granted a divorce on the grounds of his unreasonable behaviour

Miss Lawson has two children, Cosima, 19, and Bruno, 17, with her husband John Diamond, who she met while they worked at The Sunday Times.

She moved in with Mr Saatchi, who was a friend of her first husband, nine months after he died of throat cancer aged 41 and shortly after her debut cooking television show Nigella Bites aired.

Bruno yesterday helped his mother into a black taxi before Mr Saatchi left in another cab shortly afterwards.



Both refused to answer questions about the incident but they were photographed together at the same restaurant on Saturday.



In a recent interview, Miss Lawson revealed that she was physically abused by her mother when she was a child.

A violent and depressive woman, Vanessa Salmon – who married former Conservative Chancellor Nigel Lawson, would lash out at her and her brother, former Sunday Telegraph editor Dominic, when they made too much noise, she claimed.

A spokesman for Miss Lawson also declined to comment.

Domestic violence is a top priority crime in the capital, and senior officers will want to investigate even without a complaint from the victim.



A Met Police spokesman said: ‘Officers are aware. Inquiries are in hand to establish the facts of the incident.’