Dawn Sturgess Inquiry: Ex-spy and daughter will not give evidence

Sergei and Yulia Skripal were found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury on March 4, 2018, following exposure to Novichok.

This incident sparked a massive international investigation, leading to accusations Russian agents had smeared the nerve agent on their front door handle in an assassination attempt.

The Kremlin has consistently denied involvement.

In June 2018, Ms Sturgess was fatally poisoned after accidentally spraying herself with a substance she believed to be perfume, but which turned out to be Novichok.

The bottle is believed to have been discarded by the same agents who targeted the Skripals.

An inquest into Ms Sturgess’ death was opened in 2021, but the coroner called for a public inquiry to allow access to classified intelligence, which will be considered privately.

Now, six years after Ms Sturgess’ death, the inquiry aims to uncover more details about what happened, who was responsible, and whether the tragedy could have been prevented.