Novichok Inquiry: Police Officer Apologizes for Inaccurate Comments
Inquiry investigates wrongful labeling of Dawn Sturgess as a drug addict
Dawn Sturgess, aged 44, died in July 2018 after being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok, which was found in a discarded perfume bottle.
Wiltshire Police's temporary Superintendent Kerry Lawes has publicly apologized at an inquiry into Sturgess's death for describing her as a 'well-known drug addict,' a claim unsupported by intelligence.
Sturgess was exposed to the nerve agent after her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, found the bottle and gave it to her.
Both survived, along with former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who had been poisoned months earlier.
Lawes, a Detective Sergeant at the time of poisoning, wrote in an email that emergency services 'panicked,' attributing the incident to a drug overdose.
She acknowledged her comments were unprofessional, noting the police's initial mistaken belief that a 'bad batch' of drugs caused the poisoning.
Lawes emphasized her actions were based on available information, aimed at protecting involved individuals.
The inquiry, which also heard evidence from Detective Sergeant Eirin Martin, continues.
Wiltshire Police's temporary Superintendent Kerry Lawes has publicly apologized at an inquiry into Sturgess's death for describing her as a 'well-known drug addict,' a claim unsupported by intelligence.
Sturgess was exposed to the nerve agent after her boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, found the bottle and gave it to her.
Both survived, along with former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who had been poisoned months earlier.
Lawes, a Detective Sergeant at the time of poisoning, wrote in an email that emergency services 'panicked,' attributing the incident to a drug overdose.
She acknowledged her comments were unprofessional, noting the police's initial mistaken belief that a 'bad batch' of drugs caused the poisoning.
Lawes emphasized her actions were based on available information, aimed at protecting involved individuals.
The inquiry, which also heard evidence from Detective Sergeant Eirin Martin, continues.
