Nigella Lawson's Husband Charles Saatchi Slapped With Warning From Cops After Alleged Choking Incident

Police probe alleged encounter after photos surfaced showing the ad magnate gripping his wife's throat at a restaurant

By Alexis L. Loinaz Jun 18, 2013 12:19 PMTags
Nigella Lawson, Charles SaatchiIkon Pictures Ltd./Rex / Rex USA

Authorities are keeping an eye on Charles Saatchi.

Nigella Lawson's husband has been slapped with a caution for assault from British police following an inquiry into photos that surfaced Sunday showing him allegedly choking the celebrity chef while the two dined at a London restaurant last week.

Per The Independent, on Monday afternoon the 70-year-old ad magnate met with law-enforcement officials at a police station in central London.

"Officers from the Community Safety Unit at Westminster were aware of the Sunday People article…and carried out an investigation," a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police told the paper, adding that Saatchi "voluntarily attended a central London police station and accepted a caution for assault."

The caution doesn't amount to a criminal conviction per se, per Reuters, but it may be meted out to an adult who cops to a minor offense and be used as court evidence down the line should the need arise.

Lawson and Saatchi were photographed dining at a restaurant in Mayfair last week when, at one point, he could be seen grabbing his wife by the throat. Eyewitnesses claim she fled the eatery in tears.

Lawson has since left the house she shares with Saatchi, E! News has confirmed, although a rep for the 53-year-old Lawson declined to provide further details.

In the wake of the controversy, a new photo has since emerged showing Saatchi covering his wife's mouth as the two dined out in London in December 2012.

Saatchi, for his part, has downplayed the incident, telling the Evening Standard that it was merely a "playful tiff" and that the images gave "a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place."