Inquest into death of Novichok poisoning victim Dawn Sturgess 'will be fearless'
A pre-inquest review has been taking place
Last updated 30th Mar 2021
An inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess from Wiltshire, who died after coming into contact with the nerve agent Novichok, will be "fair, fearless and thorough”.
That is according to the Coroner overseeing the hearing.
Baroness Hallett told a pre-inquest review at the Royal Courts of Justice in London that the 44 year old's death in Amesbury three years ago would "undoubtedly raise issues of public interest", due in part to the unusual circumstances in which she died.
The mother of three collapsed at her partner Charlie Rowley’s flat in Muggleton Road on June 30 2018, after unwittingly spraying Novichok onto her wrists.
The nerve agent had been disguised in a perfume bottle, which Mr Rowley found and gave to her as a present.
Dawn died at Salisbury District Hospital on July 8 2018, while Mr Rowley was left seriously ill but recovered.
Her death followed the attempted poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who were found unconscious on a bench in The Maltings in Salisbury four months earlier.
They were both released from hospital, before Ms Sturgess and Mr Rowley fell ill.
The independent investigator, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, confirmed the toxic chemical which killed Ms Sturgess was the same nerve agent as that which poisoned the Skripals.
'All those in the county of Wiltshire have my assurance'
In her opening remarks at Tuesday’s hearing, Baroness Hallett said:
"The circumstances were very unusual, so they (Ms Sturgess’ family and friends) have lost not only a loved one, but in circumstances that attracted national and international attention.
"They and all those in the county of Wiltshire have my assurance I will conduct a fair, fearless and thorough investigation".
ROLE OF RUSSIAN STATE
Baroness Hallett has widened the scope of the inquest. It will now examine whether the Kremlin was responsible for the chemical attack, as well as where the poisonous substance came from.
The former appeal court judge said:
"To my mind, there is very considerable force in submissions made by Mr O'Connor (Andrew O'Connor QC, counsel to the inquest) that to conduct an investigation into the death of Dawn Sturgess without investigating how Novichok got to be in Salisbury, and then in Amesbury, how or why it was brought to this country, who brought it and who directed them - this would be an incomplete and potentially misleading investigation".
The inquest will also assess the medical causes of Dawn's death and the treatment she was given at Salisbury District Hospital.
CONSPIRACY TO MURDER
Police previously said there was enough evidence to charge two Russians, known as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, with offences including conspiracy to murder, over the attack on the Skripals.
The Russian government has repeatedly denied any involvement, with President Vladimir Putin saying the two suspects were merely civilians, not military officers.
The pair gave a much-derided interview to state television, in which they claimed to only be in Salisbury for a sightseeing tour of the Cathedral.
Andrew O’Connor QC, counsel to the inquest, said efforts had been made to engage with Petrov and Boshirov in recent years, but they had gone completely unanswered.
He said, therefore, that they should not be considered “interested parties” in the inquest, meaning they will not be able to ask questions during the hearing.
The Coroner said their interested-party status, which had previously been granted, would be removed due to their previous lack of co-operation with the investigation.
PUBLIC INQUIRY
Baroness Hallett confirmed that a decision on whether or not to convert the inquest into a public inquiry would be made at a later date.
The hearing was adjourned until another pre-inquest review in June or July.
Neither Mr Rowley nor members of Ms Sturgess' family were present in court for the hearing.