Video Of Man Saved From Sunken Ship Off Nigeria

Footage has emerged of divers discovering a cook who had survived for almost three days trapped in an air pocket in his sunken ship's hull.

Nick van Heerden was on a mission to recover bodies from the sunken Jascon 4 when a hand reached out to him while he was searching the tugboat.

The voice of rescue co-ordinator Colby Werrett is heard shouting: "He's alive, he's alive!"

Nick van Heerden grabs a limp-looking hand and realises: "He's alive"

As the camera pans up through the water, a shaken Harrison Okene is seen sitting in his underwear in the corner of a room, containing a small air pocket.

He reportedly survived for almost three days with no food and a few cans of fizzy drink, trapped 30 metres under the sea.

Mr Okene managed to put on a harness and diving mask

His 11 colleagues died when the boat capsized and sank off the Nigerian coast. It happened in May, but the video has only come to light this week.

The diving team guides Mr Okene into a diving bell

The rescue team reassured Mr Okene and got him to safety by equipping him with a diving mask and safety harness.

At one point Mr Werrett asks Mr Okene his rank and on hearing that he was the crew's chef, the co-ordinator responds: "You're the cook? They always survive" - an apparent reference to a baker who survived the sinking of the Titanic.

The diving team with Mr Okene

Mr Van Heerden then steers Mr Okene out of the sunken vessel and into a diving bell.

Mr Okene posing for photos with his rescuers

An exhausted-looking Mr Okene was happy to pose for photos with his rescuers who also included Andre Erasmus, Darryl Oosthuizen, Guido Graff, Colby Werrett and Tony Walker.

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Eurostar: Government's 40% Stake Up For Sale

The Government is to sell its 40% stake in Eurostar in a move that could raise up to £10bn as part of a new privatisation project.

The sale is part of a plan to privatise £20bn of financial and corporate assets by 2020, but is likely to spark accusations that the 'family silver' is being sold off.

Speaking to Sky News, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said he thought there was "scope to expand the sale of Government assets".

His comments will prompt speculation that other assets in the Government's £600bn portfolio including the Post Office, the Royal Mint, the Met Office and Channel 4, could be next under the hammer.

The announcement follows the £3.3bn sale of the Royal Mail in October, which left Business Secretary Vince Cable facing allegations the business was undervalued by up to £6bn.

Danny Alexander will announce the plans

The £160m sale of the Government's student loans book to private debt collectors last month led to claims that the public was "subsidising a private company making a profit from pubic debt".

The plan for the Eurostar sell-off is contained in the new national infrastructure plan (NIP) which sets out over £375bn of planned public and private investments to 2030 and beyond.

As part of the announcement it was disclosed that the Government has set a new target for selling off state financial assets from £10bn to £20bn.

Mr Alexander told Sky News: "The principle that would apply is that if there are assets that the Government does not need to own and we can release vital resources that can go to improve infrastructure elsewhere in the country, then that is a good decision to make.

"But of course it would have to be demonstrated to be good value for money for the taxpayer that's a process that would have to be gone through before any final decision would be made."

He added: "We think there is scope to expand the sale of Government assets with the objective of making sure those project are managed effectively in the private sector and we can release funds to build much-needed infrastructure elsewhere."

He stressed that Eurostar would not necessarily be sold this year or next but that it could be sold between now and 2020.

Mr Cameron told Sky News that he found the process for infrastructure development frustrating. He said: "It is frustrating sometimes that we can't do things faster in Britain but we have a planning system, we have democratic accountability for that planning system, we have a need for everyone to have their say and make their point.

"That's very important in the British system.

"I think we can keep that system and that democracy but at the same time accelerate things and make them go faster.

"If you look at what this Government's done in terms of planning policy, decisions are now being taken faster, including on major infrastructure projects."

However, critics will question whether it is sensible to look to sell off the public's stake just as the Eurostar's fortunes seem to have turned a corner.

Sales revenue for the period July-September 2013 reached £207m - a 10% increase on the same period last year - and passenger numbers in summer 2013 rose 5% to 2.7 million.

The new national infrastructure plan will also see a commitment by six major insurers - Legal and General, Prudential, Aviva, Standard Life, Friends Life and Scottish Widows - to invest £25bn over five years in UK infrastructure projects.

The planned infrastructure investment has increased from £309bn last year to more than £375bn, with 291 of the 646 projects and programmes already under construction.

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Chris Leslie said: "Scheme after scheme has been announced to great fanfare, but then little actually delivered.

"Yet another announcement from ministers about possible future investment will do little to reassure business that warm words will finally translate into diggers in the ground."

Other measures being announced include:

:: The scrapping of plans to create the UK's first toll road for a decade. Motorists will not be charged to use the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon once the improvement scheme, due to start in 2016, is completed.

:: A further £50m will be allocated to redevelop the railway station at Gatwick Airport.

:: A Government guarantee could support finance for the development of a new nuclear power station at Wylfa on Anglesey.

:: The £1bn Northern Line extension to Battersea in southwest London will also be guaranteed by the Government.

:: Watch live coverage of the Autumn Statement throughout Thursday on Sky News HD

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Banks Fined Record £1.42bn For Rate-Rigging

Eight global banks have been fined a combined £1.42bn by the European Commission for forming illegal cartels to rig benchmark interest rates.

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) was handed a £325m penalty for its role though Barclays was spared a bill because it blew the whistle on the wrongdoing.

The other banks named as participating in the alleged cartel were Deutsche Bank - which is to pay the largest individual penalty of £602m - Societe Generale, Credit Agricole, HSBC, JPMorgan, UBS and Citigroup.

The UK brokerage RP Martin was ordered to pay £205,000.

HSBC's role was still under consideration, the Commission said, though the collective fine amounted to the biggest handed down by the EU.

RBS has previously been fined for rate manipulation

The benchmarks involved were the London interbank offered rate Libor, the Tokyo interbank offered rate and the euro area equivalents - all used to price hundreds of trillions of pounds in assets ranging from mortgages to derivatives.

The EU said that not every bank was involved in manipulating every rate but competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia said the most shocking aspect of the case was the "collusion between banks who are supposed to be competing with each other."

Although other fines have been levied against individual banks by US and UK regulators for manipulating interest rates, the Commission said it has sole responsibility for punishing cartels in the European Economic Area.

Part-privatised RBS was previously fined £390m over the rate-rigging while Barclays was handed a £290m penalty.

Both banking groups - along with London-listed HSBC - are currently subject to a separate probe by the Financial Conduct Authority and other world regulators into the alleged manipulation of foreign currency markets.

Sir Philip Hampton condemned the collusion

It emerged that eight personnel - six of them at Barclays and two at RBS - were suspended as the investigation got underway.

Both banks have also set aside billions of pounds to cover the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) while the industry is also being urged to quickly compensate businesses who were wrongly sold interest rate swap products.

In the wake of today's penalty, RBS said it had already made provisions for the payments.

Its statement said: "Since becoming aware in 2011 of improper conduct in connection with rate setting, RBS management has taken action to strengthen significantly the systems and controls governing its submissions of Libor and other trading rates."

Chairman Sir Philip Hampton added: "We acknowledged back in February that there were serious shortcomings in our systems and controls on this issue, but also in the integrity of a very small number of our employees.

"Today is another sobering reminder of those past failings and nobody should be in any doubt about how seriously we have taken this issue.

"The RBS board and new management team condemn the behaviour of the individuals who were involved in these activities.

"There is no place for it at RBS," he said.

Barclays also released a statement that recognised its wrongdoing in relation to euro rates but added: "Barclays voluntarily reported the Euribor conduct to the Commission and cooperated fully with the Commission's investigation.

"In recognition of this cooperation, Barclays has been granted full immunity from the financial penalties that would otherwise have applied."

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Man Arrested After Police Officer Shot In Leeds

Police have arrested a man in connection with the shooting of a female police officer in Leeds.

A major police manhunt for James Leslie was launched following the attack which took place shortly after 4am in Cardigan Road in the city's Hyde Park district.

A weapon is recovered by officers near a car

West Yorkshire Police said two uniformed officers attended a "routine call" to a disturbance and were confronted by a man at the address who fired at them.

The female officer received "serious" but non life threatening injuries to her face, neck and right hand and is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

A male colleague was unhurt and able to remove her from harm's way and summon assistance from other officers.

Speaking at the scene, Chief Superintendent Paul Money said it was thought only one shot was fired.

The shooting happened shortly after 4am

He said: "My understanding at this time is that the officer was hit by one shot. We believe at this stage there was one discharge of that firearm and not multiple discharges."

Mr Money added: "This is quite obviously an incident that is thankfully rare in Leeds but nonetheless very shocking."

The force said a 37-year-old man was arrested at 10.10am in nearby Wood Lane in Headingley following a call from a member of the public, and a firearm was recovered in the area.

Assistant Chief Constable Geoff Dodd said the investigation was "still at an early stage" and while "any potential risk to the public has been removed", a police presence would remain in the area.

Police officers stand guard in Cardigan Road

"The officer has sustained a very serious injury and her wellbeing is of paramount importance to us. The thoughts of colleagues remain with the officer and her family at this very difficult time," he said.

"It is right to say that incidents where police officers face threat from firearms are thankfully very rare but that does not lessen the shocking impact when an officer is injured in such a way," he added.

Ned Liddemore, vice chairman of the Police Federation, described the shooting as a "cowardly attack".

"We will be supporting the officers and their families through this traumatic time," he said.

Forensic officers at the scene

Kieran Williams, 17, described how he had an altercation with Mr Leslie on Tuesday.

The teenager said Mr Leslie came to his house, which backs on to the scene of the shooting, complaining that someone was shining a torch through his window.

A woman police officer called round to take information from his housemates during the night after a bottle was thrown through their window.

He said he later heard multiple shots.

Radio Aire reporter Charlie Frost said she spoke to a couple of neighbours who heard a disturbance.

"They told be that they were very shook by the incident and that it is very worrying that it can happen here on their doorstep," she told Sky News.

Police are not looking for anybody else in connection with the shooting.

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Hewlett-Packard To Cut 1,100 UK Jobs In 2014

Hewlett-Packard (HP) has confirmed it is planning to cut 1,100 jobs at the start of 2014 from three UK sites.

The US-based firm - which remains the world's biggest maker of PCs - will axe 1,124 posts in total from its operations in Bracknell, Sheffield and Warrington during the first three months of the new year.

The company, which was reacting to an apparent leak by the Unite union, said the proposed losses were part of a workforce management plan that was first raised in May 2012 and expected to result in 7,000 staff losing their jobs across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

HP said at that time it was looking to save £2.2bn, which it would invest in growth areas like 'cloud' storage technology.

Unite national officer Ian Tonks said today: "For the last five years HP has been addicted to a culture of job cuts in the UK, to such an extent that its highly skilled workforce has little faith in the way the company is being managed and will be going forward.

Meg Whitman is implementing a turnaround plan for HP

"Unite will be doing everything possible to mitigate these job losses which are a hammer blow to the UK's IT sector and very distressing for employees in the run-up to Christmas."

Unite said 618 jobs could be lost at the Bracknell hub, although the employees work at multiple locations; 483 will go at Warrington and 23 at Sheffield.

HP's statement said: "HP remains committed to supporting the employability of its employees through a number of internal initiatives, including re-skilling, redeployment and support to obtain alternative employment as appropriate."

The firm is under pressure amid a global decline in PC sales amid growing demand for laptops and greater tablet use.

In a mission statement on the company's website, chief executive Meg Whitman writes: "We are in a multi-year journey to turn HP around, and we have put in place a plan to restore HP to growth.

"We know where we need to go, and we're making progress.

"We continue to drive product innovation in our core markets, with a focus on cloud, security, and big data.

"We see big opportunities ahead, and we are well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities with our remarkable set of assets and strengths.

"We have the people, the plan, and the foundation in place to help us succeed on the next phase of the journey."

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Movie Buffs Mourn The Loss Of Silent Films

Most of America's feature-length silent films have been lost because of decay and neglect over the past 100 years, according to a study.

James Hall, Clara Bow and Jack Oakie in The Fleet's In

Of the nearly 11,000 silent films made between 1912 and 1930, only 14% still exist in their original format, the Library of Congress research found.

And 11% of those that survive only exist as foreign versions or on lower-quality formats, meaning an original 20th century art form has all but disappeared.

Silent films were at their peak between in the early part of the century when - before network radio or television - going to the cinema was the most popular form of entertainment.

Anna May Wong in the Thief Of Baghdad

Around 46 million people - out of a population of 116 million people - went to the cinema in the US during the 1920s, according to the report.

Historian and archivist David Pierce, who carried out the study for the library, said few defunct art forms have the resonance of silent films.

"It's a lost style of storytelling, and the best of the films are as effective with audiences today as they were when they were initially released," he said.

Gloria Swanson who successfully moved from silent to speaking parts

"When you take away dialogue from a narrative story, it actually puts quite a challenge upon the creative people involved to tell the story entirely in a visual fashion.

"And it's that limitation, I think, which makes the films so effective."

Famous films now considered lost include Cleopatra from 1917, The Great Gatsby from 1926, Lon Chaney's London After Midnight from 1927, and The Patriot from 1928.

Jack Hoxie in one of the first westerns, Western Whirlwind

Films featuring early stars, including Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford still exist thanks to organisations such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Library of Congress and other archives preserving early films for decades.

But, the study reveals, for every classic that survives, a half dozen have been lost.

Librarian of Congress James Billington wrote in the report that the nation has already lost much of the creative record from an era that brought American movies to the heights of cinematic achievement.

"The loss of American silent-era feature films constitutes an alarming and irretrievable loss to our nation's cultural record," he wrote.

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Schizophrenic Jailed For Beheading Flatmate

A paranoid schizophrenic who killed his flatmate and cut off his head after suffering from delusions he was being persecuted has been jailed for life.

Karl Addo, found by several doctors to be borderline insane, will serve a minimum of six and half years for the killing of Sergio Marquez and may never be released from Broadmoor because he is so ill.

Karl Addo admitted manslaughter

The headless body of Mr Marquez, who was decapitated and disembowled after he died, was found by other flatmates who ran screaming from the address.

Years of mental illness led Addo to believe that he was being assaulted by gangs with special powers and been injected with drugs.

He believed that Spanish waiter Mr Marquez, 23, was part of a gang and that he wanted to kill and torture him.

The 30-year-old engineering graduate snapped on July 17 last year - the day his landlord told him to leave the flat the pair shared in Bournemouth, Dorset, because he had not paid his rent.

He hit Mr Marquez with a cleaver and stabbed him in what was a "prolonged horrific and very violent attack and his body was terribly mutilated," Nigel Pascoe QC, prosecuting told Bournemouth Crown Court.

A neighbour heard some of the attack and Mr Marquez saying "please Karl, please Karl", furniture being dragged around and then Addo laugh, Mr Pascoe said.

Police officers arrested Addo nearby covered in blood, the court was told. He had fled the flat when the others had returned.

Sergio Marquez's body was discovered by his other flatmates

Sentencing Addo, Mr Justice Burnett told him it was common ground that he was dangerous and also imposed an indefinite restriction under the Mental Health Act, explaining that he would "not be released unless the relevant authorities conclude that is it safe to do so".

"Given all that I have heard, you must recognise that there is a real possibility that such a conclusion will never be reached," he said.

Flatmates told police that Addo had been acting strangely, that he used to steal food from them and had used book pages as toilet paper, the court heard.

Addo, who was born in the UK but had also lived in the US, absconded from the Huntley Mental Health Centre in London where he was a voluntary patient the day before a mental health tribunal in October 2011 decided he should be sectioned.

He then "disappeared" from mental health services before he moved to Bournemouth in May 2012.

Addo, of no fixed abode pleaded not guilty to murder on Monday but guilty to manslaughter through diminished responsibility.

Mr Marquez, originally from Sain, had come to England to find work

The prosecution said the plea was acceptable because Addo had been severely mentally ill when he killed Mr Marquez, who lived in Coin near Malaga in Spain and had come to England to find work.

Speaking after the case, Mr Marquez's mother Maria Carmen Marquez Torres said: "Sergio was a kind, good hearted and beautiful man who touched the lives of everyone who met him.

"I have lost my son and the world has lost a wonderful man.

"I believe that I have received justice for me and for Sergio.

"No sentence would ever be sufficient and nothing will ever compensate me for he loss of my son, but I find comfort in the fact that Mr Addo will not have his freedom for a long time and inflict this pain on any other family."

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Conway's Console: The Recovery Where You Live

The recession is over and the recovery is under way.

Of course, that's welcome news - not just for the Chancellor but for the country as a whole.

But one of the most striking features of this recovery is that, all too often, the national story is quite, quite different to the local one.

Take house prices: they're rocketing in London but they are barely increasing (and sometimes actually falling) in many other parts of the country.

You can tell a similarly divergent story about wages, or the labour market, or indeed broader measures of economic output.

Now, I've tried to tell that story on Sky News whenever possible, but even more striking is when you have a chance to explore the real, divergent story of Britain's economic recovery yourself.

And that's precisely what I've attempted to do with this new console.

As a bit of a data geek, I try to look at as many different measures of how each region is doing - whether on housing affordability, earnings or jobs - but I've always been frustrated that there's no single place which puts them all together.

Well that's precisely the objective of the product we at Sky News have now created. For better or worse, it's called Conway's Console.

Open it up yourself and spend a moment checking it out.

You can look at how your region or local area of the UK compares to the national average on a whole range of different measures.

You can compare one area against another - for instance, just look at the enormous divergence between inner London and parts of the North East on a whole range of measures.

Or go to the "Heat Map" tab on the top left and see how the country looks in terms of house prices, housing affordability, wages or unemployment. See, for instance, which part has grown most in the most recent year. And no, it's not London.

The message I hope you'll get is that this economy, and the recovery, are far more complex and divergent than any single report of ours or others can express. And that divergence is greater in this economic recovery than any other for decades.

:: Watch Sky News on December 5 for live coverage and reaction to the Autumn Statement

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Woolwich Suspect: Killing 'Gives Me Little Joy'

One of the men accused of killing soldier Lee Rigby told police it gives him "little joy to approach anybody and slay them", a court has heard.

Michael Adebolajo, who denies murder, made the comments in a two-hour interview, which was played to jurors at the Old Bailey.

As he sat with a blue blanket covering his head, the 28-year-old, who gave his name at Mujahid Abu Hamza, told officers it was "not my character" to kill people.

The videotaped interview showed him speaking non-stop for 30 minutes, pausing only for a sip of water.

He described how the rape of Muslim women "disgusts me to the core", telling officers: "If it does not affect you, you are wicked men."

During his police statement, Adebolajo told officers that Drummer Rigby "was struck in the neck with a sharp implement and it was sawed until his head became, you know, almost detached".

Police released a picture showing damage to the defendants' Vauxhall Tigra

"May Allah forgive me if I acted in a way that was displeasing to him," he added.

At one point in the interview, Adebolajo complained that he was refused permission to remove blood from his hands in hospital.

He was heard telling officers: "I have blood on my hands and I wish, like any sane man, to remove that blood."

When one of them tried to interrupt his monologue, Adebolajo raised his voice and said: "When I'm finished, you may speak."

A female juror wept as a pathologist gave the court a detailed breakdown of Drummer Rigby's injuries, which included some stab wounds up to 12cm deep and others that "almost entirely circled" the neck.

This knife - not used in the attack - was found on a seat in the Tigra

The soldier's family decided not to attend court for Dr Simon Poole's graphic evidence.

He said Drummer Rigby was probably knocked unconscious when he was hit by the defendants' car but died from multiple incised wounds inflicted later.

In an earlier interview, the murder suspect told officers the "leaders" of Britain were "wicked, corrupt, selfish and oppressive" and he was "particularly disgusted by David Cameron, the Miliband brothers and what's-his-name, Nick Clegg".

Adebolajo discussed politicians gathering in the House of Commons and paying tribute to soldiers killed in Afghanistan "as a disgusting practice".

In his third interview with police, Adebolajo asked one of the officers to explain why he was questioning him.

Drummer Lee Rigby was killed in Woolwich on May 22

"Relate it back to why you feel this will benefit Lee Rigby's family and ensure the safety of the British people," he said, again sitting covered in a blue blanket with a copy of the Koran in front of him.

The officer replied: "Lee Rigby was a soldier who was killed on Wednesday 22nd, as you know.

"The family of Lee Rigby are obviously very upset about it, and I'm trying to ask you as part of an investigation."

Moments later he left the interview room, after the officer asked him to use "plain and simple" language.

The court also heard a statement from a psychiatrist who assessed Adebolajo in the days after Drummer Rigby was killed in Woolwich, southeast London, just metres from a military barracks.

He said he showed "no signs of regret or remorse for his actions" but was polite and co-operative with medical staff.

There was no evidence of any mental health problems, he added.

Adebolajo and co-defendant Michael Adebowale were seen on CCTV

Earlier, jurors were shown pictures of the weapons used in the attack on Drummer Rigby, including a meat cleaver, knives and a handgun.

DNA recovered from one of the knives matched Adebolajo's, the jury was told.

Other images showed a box containing a block of knives that was found inside the defendants' Vauxhall Tigra car, and the clothing worn by the pair on the day of the attack.

Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, 22, both deny murdering Drummer Rigby, attempting to murder a police officer and conspiracy to murder.

The trial continues.

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Nigella Lawson Admits Having Used Cocaine

Nigella Lawson has admitted she has used cocaine several times, but claimed her ex-husband has spread "false allegations" about drug abuse to ruin her reputation.

The 53-year-old told Isleworth Crown Court: "The idea that I am a drug addict or habitual user of cocaine is absolutely ridiculous."

The celebrity cook said art dealer Charles Saatchi had threatened to "destroy her" if she did not give evidence in court and she feels there is a "witch hunt" against her.

She said Mr Saatchi "told everyone" he was taking cocaine out of her nose after he was photographed holding her neck at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, London, earlier this year.

Mr Saatchi was pictured with his hand on Ms Lawson's throat in June

She claimed the much-publicised incident was actually sparked when she commented on a person walking by with a baby.

"I said 'I'm so looking forward to having grandchildren'," Ms Lawson told the court.

"He grabbed me by the throat and said 'I'm the only person you should be concerned with'."

Ms Lawson said she believes Mr Saatchi had a mind-set of "get her, I don't care what it takes" in relation to her and the current legal proceedings.

Ms Lawson is a witness in the trial of two former personal assistants, Elisabetta (referred to as Lisa) and Francesca Grillo, who are accused of spending thousands of pounds on credit cards loaned to them by the Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi.

Ms Lawson arrives in court with her brother Dominic Lawson

The Italian sisters deny the fraud charges against them.

Ms Lawson said the first time she used cocaine was when her late husband John Diamond found out his cancer was terminal, and she had it with him on six occasions.

"It gave him some escape," she said.

She said she also used the drug in 2010 when she was "subjected to intimate terrorism by Mr Saatchi".

"A friend of mine offered me some cocaine. I took it," she said.

Ms Lawson also admitted taking cannabis in the last year of her marriage to Mr Saatchi.

"I have to be honest, I have smoked the odd joint," she said.

"I found it made an intolerable situation tolerable. It's a false friend and not a good idea. I found the answer was in changing the situation and trying to create a tolerable situation for me and my family.

Ms Lawson with her late husband John Diamond

"I have to say, since freeing myself from a brilliant but brutal man, I'm now totally cannabis, cocaine, any drug-free."

Ms Lawson said Mr Saatchi was unaware that she used drugs during their 10-year marriage.

On Friday, Mr Saatchi gave evidence said it was a "terrible, terrible mistake" that a private email he sent to Ms Lawson, referring to her as "Higella", and claiming she had been off her head on drugs, has been made public.

When asked about the email, Ms Lawson described the allegations of her drug use in it as being "part of his plan of attack".

When she was asked about the word "pass" used in the email, she said: "I had once made reference to a 'pass' because I had been punished for going to a girlfriend's birthday."

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".

The celebrity cook also said: "I have been put on trial here where I am called to answer, and glad to answer the allegations, and the world's press, and it comes after a long summer of bullying and abuse.

"He (Saatchi) had said to me if I didn't get back to him and clear his name he would destroy me."

Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo arrive at the court

It is alleged that between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2012, the Grillo sisters committed fraud by abusing their positions while working for Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi.

The jury was told they are accused of using credit cards loaned to them to spend more than £685,000 on themselves.

Prosecutors claim the women lived the "high life", spending the money on designer clothes and handbags from Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood.

Ms Lawson told the court: "It's very difficult when you find out that someone you have loved and trusted could behave that way.

"In my heart of hearts I do not believe Lisa (Elisabetta) to be a bad person. I believe her not to have a very strong moral compass. She broke our heart."

She added that she once took out £7,000 from her savings to pay for Lisa Grillo to have her teeth fixed.

Mr Saatchi has given evidence in the case

Ms Lawson also said Lisa had been a "rock" when her first husband was terminally ill.

Sometimes I had to rush to hospital, she would stand in," she told the court.

"She was my rock. I will never forget what she did for my family."

Ms Lawson told the court that Lisa had become "like a member of the family" while living with her but became "bitter" later on.

"She was not at all hardworking towards the end. Most of the time she was on Facebook," she said.

"I do not think her bitterness was towards me personally. I think it was towards her life."

The trial continues.

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