Charlie Rowley gave Dawn Sturgess a perfume bottle as a gift - but it actually contained Novichok, and after she sprayed the nerve agent on her wrist, she began feeling unwell

They were poisoned when members of a Russian military intelligence squad are believed to have smeared Novichok on Mr Skripal’s door handle. The inquiry will examine evidence of what led to the later poisoning of Ms Sturgess and her death. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died from Novichok poisoning in Salisbury Hospital on 8 July 2018.

An inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess has released new images of the mum-of-three just before she was poisoned with a nerve agent.

The 44-year-old’s contact with Novichok followed the attempted murder of former spy Sergei Skripal, his daughter who were poisoned in nearby Salisbury in March that year. Police officer Nick Bailey also fell ill after becoming exposed to the chemical.

Charlie Rowley could not remember Dawn Sturgess after Novichok poisoning, the inquiry has heard. On Wednesday, October 16, evidence from Mr Rowley was read out to the Dawn Sturgess Inquiry. It was confirmed that Mr Rowley will give evidence in November.

A public inquiry examining the 2018 poisoning of Dawn Sturgess has begun in Salisbury. Her death was blamed on Russian agents after she came into contact with nerve agent Novichok.

The mother of three died in 2018 after spraying herself with a substance believed to have been left by Russian agents