Salisbury Novichok inquiry latest: Putin told to ‘look Dawn Sturgess family in the eye’ over poisoning death

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Vladimir Putin should not “cower behind the walls of the Kremlin” and should look the family of Dawn Sturgess “in the eyes” over her death, their lawyer has told the inquiry into the Novichok poisonings in Salisbury.

Ms Sturgess, 44, was killed after coming into contact with the Russian-engineered nerve agent in Amesbury in July 2018.

Her contact with Novichok followed the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March that year. Police officer Nick Bailey also fell ill after becoming exposed to the chemical.

They were poisoned when members of a Russian military intelligence squad are believed to have smeared the nerve agent on Mr Skripal’s door handle. All three survived, as did Ms Sturgess’s boyfriend Charlie Rowley, who had unwittingly given her the bottle containing the killer chemical weapon.

In a new witness statement issued by Mr Skripal, the inquiry heard on Monday that the former Russian militay intelligence operative believes Vladimir Putin personally ordered the attack on his life.

The inquiry will sit all week in Salisbury.

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Inquiry opens into poisoning of Dawn Sturgess via Novichok in Salisbury

The public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess who was poisoned by Novichok in Salisbury is set to open.

The independent probe into the Russian-state Salisbury poisonings of 2018, which is chaired by retired Supreme Court justice Lord Hughes of Ombersley, is to begin evidence hearings at the Guildhall in Salisbury on Monday.

Ms Sturgess, 44, was killed after coming into contact with the Russian-engineered nerve agent, which was present on a discarded perfume bottle, in Amesbury in July 2018.

The 44-year-old’s contact with Novichok followed the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter and ex-police officer Nick Bailey, who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March that year.

All three survived, as did Ms Sturgess’s boyfriend Charlie Rowley, who had unwittingly given her the bottle containing the killer chemical weapon.

The inquiry will sit all week in Salisbury, before adjourning for a week and resuming the week commencing 28 October in London.

Tara Cobham14 October 2024 07:00

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