Putin authorised Skripal attack, which caused Dawn Sturgess’ death

The report for the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry was published today. The Chairman, Lord Hughes, concluded that the Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal using Novichok in Salisbury in 2018, and there was a clear causative link between the use and discarding of Novichok to Dawn Sturgess’ death and the poisoning of Charlie Rowley. Lord Hughes concluded that: “Deploying a highly toxic nerve agent in a busy city was an astonishingly reckless act, and the risk that others beyond the intended target might be killed or injured was entirely foreseeable. That risk was dramatically magnified by leaving in the city a bottle of the Novichok disguised as perfume.” He also concluded there were failings in managing Sergei Skripal after he came to the UK in a prisoner swap from Russia. 

Dawn Sturgess’ death was originally investigated by means of an inquest. A decision by the original coroner to limit the investigation, and to not fully investigate Russian State responsibility, was quashed by the Divisional Court as a result of a successful judicial review claim brought by Dawn Sturgess’ family: R (GS (A Child)) v HM Senior Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon [2020] 1 WLR 4889. The Coroner was subsequently replaced and the inquest became a public inquiry. 

Adam Straw KC represented Dawn Sturgess’ family and Charlie Rowley, alongside Michael Mansfield KC and Jesse Nicholls, instructed by Birnberg Peirce Solicitors. 

Media coverage includes: BBC, The Guardian, The Independent.