Dawn Sturgess: ‘Rigorous’ inquiry into Novichok deathon March 25, 2022 at 12:24 pm

The chairman of a public inquiry has promised a “rigorous investigation” of potential Russian involvement in the death of Novichok victim Dawn Sturgess.

Ms Sturgess, 44, died in July 2018 in Amesbury, Wiltshire, after coming into contact with the nerve agent in what she thought was a bottle of perfume.

A preliminary hearing was held earlier at the Royal Courts of Justice by judge Lord Hughes of Ombersley.

The inquiry itself is scheduled to begin next year.

Ms Sturgess died in hospital on 8 July 2018 after she was exposed to Novichok that had been stored in a discarded perfume bottle found by her boyfriend Charlie Rowley and given to her as a gift.

The previous inquest into her death was converted into a public inquiry to allow it to have access to top secret intelligence which will be considered in private.

Lord Hughes told the preliminary hearing that the inquiry would deal with “wide-ranging matters including international politics and complex science” and offered sympathy to Ms Sturgess’s family.

“We must not lose sight of the fact that at its heart is the death of a woman who had no international or security life,” he said.

“She was dearly loved and must, I am sure, be much missed by her family and friends.”

Ms Sturgess’s family and her partner Mr Rowley will be represented by barristers at the inquiry, along with Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the original targets of what police believe was a Russian hit squad in Salisbury.

The substance was smeared on Mr Skripal’s door handle on 4 March 2018, at his home in Salisbury, eight miles from Amesbury.

Mr Skripal, his daughter Yulia and Mr Rowley survived their exposure to the solution.

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