A public inquiry into the 2018 poisoning of Dawn Sturgess in Salisbury, blamed on Russian agents, is set to begin. Sturgess, aged 44, had sprayed herself with a substance she did not know was the lethal nerve agent Novichok, which had been concealed within a designer perfume bottle. Novichok had previously been used in the attempted assassination of a former Russian spy and his daughter four months earlier. The inquiry will investigate the circumstances surrounding Sturgess’ death, determine who is responsible and consider any lessons to be learned from the incident.
The Guildhall in Salisbury will host the initial week of evidence, which begins with opening statements at 11:00 BST on Monday. Sturgess’ mother, Caroline Sturgess, will speak on Tuesday. The rest of the week is set to consider input from local first responders, including police and paramedics. After a scheduled break, the inquiry will continue in central London, where witnesses will give evidence about the Skripals and Russian espionage investigations.
Due to a need for national security, some evidence will be heard in private, while the public feed will be on a short delay. British authorities attribute use of the chemical weapon to Russian agents, who, following the initial poisoning, discarded the perfume bottle containing the Novichok which was later found by Sturgess’ partner, Charlie Rowley. He and Sturgess were both suffering ill effects, but Rowley recovered following the incident. Russia denies any involvement and has dismissed the inquiry as a “circus”. Public hearings are scheduled to finish in December, with the publication of a final report in 2025.
For further information, a podcast exploring the Salisbury Poisonings is available on BBC Sounds
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