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Lee Rigby trial: 'It brings me little joy' to kill, says suspect

One of the men accused of the daylight murder of British soldier Lee Rigby told police he took little joy in killing, a court hears. FULL STORY

Prosecutor: 'Callous murder'
'It brings me little joy' to kill, suspect in British soldier Lee Rigby's slaying says

By Kellie Morgan, CNN

December 4, 2013 -- Updated 2147 GMT (0547 HKT)

Prosecutor outlines 'callous murder'
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Jurors hear Michael Adebolajo's police interview on the fourth day of his murder trial
- He and Michael Adebowale have pleaded not guilty in the killing of soldier Lee Rigby in May
- In the interview, he praised Allah and his treatment by police, criticized British rulers
- Adebolajo polite, didn't show signs of mental disorder, regret or remorse, psychiatrist says
London (CNN) -- One of the men accused of the brutal daylight killing of British soldier Lee Rigby told police he took little joy in slaying.

Michael Adebolajo's interview with police was played to jurors at the Old Bailey criminal court in London on Wednesday, day four of the trial in which he and co-defendant Michael Adebowale have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Rigby in Woolwich on May 22.

In the interview, Adebolajo identified himself as Mujahideen Abu Hamza and began a long and uninterrupted statement by praising Allah and expressing his surprise and gratitude for the way he had been treated by police and medical staff, given what he described as "the serious nature of events."

"There still remain some great qualities in this nation," the British-born Adebolajo told police before saying he was ashamed to be called British.

"That title -- British -- is associated with the pillaging and rape of innocent people. This disgusts me to the core."

He went on to say that he did not enjoy watching horror movies or seeing blood spilled.

"It brings me little joy to approach anybody and slay them. Can you believe me?"

The jury has seen graphic mobile phone and CCTV footage of Adebolajo brandishing a machete and knife with his hands covered in blood after the attack on Rigby.

Adebolajo told police he would answer only questions he believed would help the British people.

"I am not here to satisfy your supervisor," he said. "I'm only here to prevent such an incident as happened on Wednesday, the 22nd of May, from ever happening again."

He did answer one direct question from police in the interview, and it concerned what he did to Rigby.

"Lee Rigby was killed on the 22nd of May," he said. "He was struck in the neck with a sharp implement and it was sawn until his head, you know, became almost detached, and may Allah forgive me of I acted in a way that is displeasing to him."

Pathologist Simon Poole told the court Wednesday that drummer Rigby suffered "numerous and very deep wounds" to the neck and that the cause of death was "multiple incised wounds."

During Adebolajo's two-hour interview with police, he also criticized British rulers whom he described as "wicked and black-hearted humans" from privileged schools like Eton, who wore expensive suits and drove expensive cars.

He singled out Prime Minister David Cameron; brothers David and Ed Milliband, the political veterans; and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

He expressed particular disappointment with Cameron, who he said is trying to emulate a man he described as "using the magic of the tongue to dodge questions. He goes by the name of Tony Blair. Nobody realizes the wickedness and corruption of this man."

Earlier in the day, the court heard the statement of forensic psychiatrist Tim McKinley, who interviewed Adebolajo three times while he was being treated in a hospital after being shot by police shortly after the attack on Rigby. The psychiatrist described the defendant as polite and said he showed no signs of mental disorder, remorse or regret. Adebolajo told him he posed no threat to civilians, police or medical staff but would be a continued threat to the British military.
December 4, 2013 -- Updated 1620 GMT (0020 HKT)

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Lawson says she used cocaine twice

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson twice used cocaine, she admitted Wednesday as she testified in the fraud trial of two former personal assistants in a London court. FULL STORY | VIDEO
Chef Nigella Lawson admits using cocaine, denies drug problem

By Laura Smith-Spark and Claudia Rebaza, CNN

December 4, 2013 -- Updated 2148 GMT (0548 HKT)

Celebrity chef on the stand
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

"I did not have a drug problem, I had a life problem," says Nigella Lawson

Lawson admits using cocaine during two periods of her life

Ex-husband said he'd "destroy" her if she didn't "clear his name," Lawson tells court

Italian sisters Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo deny embezzling large sums
London (CNN) -- Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson used cocaine during two periods of her life, she admitted Wednesday as she testified in the fraud trial of two former personal assistants in a London court.

She told the court she had used the drug about six times with her late husband, John Diamond, when he learned that his cancer was terminal, in order to give him "some escape from his treatment."

She also used cocaine once in July 2010 when she felt subject to "terrorism" by her then-husband Charles Saatchi, she said.

At that point she felt trapped, isolated and unhappy, she said, and a friend offered her the drug.

But, Lawson said, "I've never been a drug addict, I've never been an habitual user. ... I did not have a drug problem, I had a life problem."

Saatchi had claimed in an e-mail that Lawson had used drugs regularly, but in testimony Friday he backed off that claim.

Lawson's admission of cocaine use came after she earlier testified that Saatchi had threatened to "destroy" her if she did not "clear his name."

She had been asked about her reluctance to attend court as a witness in the assistants' trial -- a case that has gripped the media as claims emerge about the couple's troubled personal life.

"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," Lawson said. "I find it's another chapter in that."

Nigella Lawson's ex in court

Drug allegations against celebrity chef

Referring to Saatchi's request for her to attend the trial, made in a letter sent by his lawyers, Lawson said: "He had said to me if I didn't get back to him and clear his name he would destroy me."

Lawson said she felt she had to do her civic duty. "It's difficult for me, it's very difficult for my children, but I want to do the right thing," she added.

The former aides, Italian sisters Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, deny embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds on company credit cards while employed by Lawson and Saatchi.

'No hard evidence'

In his testimony last Friday, Saatchi addressed the claim made in an e-mail he sent to Lawson in October that alleged she had used drugs.

He told the court he never saw his wife taking drugs during their 10-year marriage and he had no hard evidence she had done so. He also said he was "utterly heartbroken" by the end of their relationship.

In the e-mail, which was shared with the court by the defense in a pretrial hearing, Saatchi wrote that the assistants would likely "get off" because Lawson was using cocaine and marijuana on a daily basis and "allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked."

The allegations emerged in June, around the time the couple were photographed in a restaurant having an argument.

In the photos, which were splashed across the front pages of national newspapers, Saatchi is seen with his hand around Lawson's throat. Saatchi accepted a police caution for assault, and the couple announced they would divorce soon afterward.

'She was a rock'

The two defendants, who worked for Lawson and Saatchi for a number of years, were supposed to use the cards for household expenses, but allegedly spent large amounts on themselves.

Lawson acknowledged Wednesday she wasn't familiar with every detail of the purchases made by the Grillo sisters.

She told the court she had employed Elisabetta, also known as Lisa, while her ex-husband had hired Francesca.

"I loved Lisa. She came to me in a difficult time in my life. She was a rock," Lawson said.

She said Elisabetta Grillo had left her job for a while, and when she came back she'd been increasingly bitter and unhappy.

"I do not think her bitterness was towards me personally. I think it was towards her life," the chef said.

Lawson ignored the crowd of reporters and photographers waiting outside Isleworth Crown Court as she entered earlier, wearing black and looking somber.

Transactions top $1 million

Saatchi's accountant gave details of the sisters' alleged spending on luxury goods in court last week, including purchases from Prada, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton.

The prosecution also showed Saatchi a list of the top 50 transactions made by the sisters, totaling more than $1 million, which he said he did not recognize and had not authorized.

He did not know whether Lawson had approved them, he said.

Lawson, whose culinary skills and flirtatious manner have long entranced UK audiences, has also appeared as a judge on ABC show "The Taste" in the United States. A second season of the show is due to air in January.

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