It was “pure chance” that Dawn Sturgess’s daughter was not killed along with her mother when Novichok was discarded by a Kremlin hit squad, a public inquiry has been told.Ms Sturgess had been planning to pick up the 11-year-old from her mother’s home shortly after she inadvertently sprayed herself with the nerve agent.

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.

Andrew O’Connor KC, counsel to the inquiry, added that paramedics believed Charlie Rowley was suffering from nerve agent poisoning but police disagreed. | ITV News Meridian

As well as with the aim of helping the family “grieve the loss of their loved one, and come to terms with her death”, barrister Michael Mansfield KC warned that openness in the inquiry will be “of great importance” in countering the “huge amount” of Russian disinformation about Salisbury.

Dawn Sturgess ’s young daughter was not present when her mother fatally sprayed herself with Novichok by pure chance”, her family has said. The 44-year-old inadvertently used a perfume bottle carrying the Russian nerve agent in July 2018,

It was "pure chance" Dawn Sturgess sprayed herself with novichok before meeting up with her daughter, an inquiry has been told.

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.