'Remorse and sorrow' following deadly Novichok poisoning

The 2018 nerve agent attacks in the UK left lasting scars on those responsible for uncovering the events. Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to Novichok, triggering the most extensive counter-terrorism investigation in British history.

Public health officials in Salisbury and Amesbury, Wiltshire, faced the enormous challenge of protecting thousands from an invisible, highly toxic nerve agent that could have been anywhere.

Months later, local resident Dawn Sturgess, 44, accidentally sprayed herself with a small perfume bottle containing the deadly chemical, unaware of the danger.

"You feel personally responsible for it," said Neil Basu, then-head of UK counter-terrorism policing, reflecting on the case. He oversaw the inquiry into both the attack on Skripal and the subsequent death of Sturgess, who lived 10 miles away.

"You feel like you didn't do enough to protect people," Basu admitted. "Even knowing we did everything possibleshort of shutting down the countryit still isn't enough for Dawn, her partner, or her family. That feeling of sadness never goes away."

Sturgess, a mother of three, succumbed after coming into contact with the Novichok-laced perfume. Her partner, Charlie Rowley, reported finding the bottle in a charity bin on June 27, 2018.

Tracy Daszkiewicz, Wiltshires public health head at the time, emphasized the human cost: "When incidents are measured by numbers, it's easy to forget each loss is a daughter, a mother, a friend. One death is already one too many."

Parts of Salisbury city center were shut down following the poisonings. Though the Crown Prosecution Service charged three Russian suspects, they have never faced trial. Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin were alleged to have applied Novichok to Skripals door handle, while Denis Sergeev is believed to have led the operation on-site.

"This was a state-sponsored assassination on British soilthe first chemical weapon attack in Europe since World War Two," Basu said. "It could have killed thousands and was aimed at someone who became a UK citizen. From my perspective, it was a failure that the perpetrators didnt receive justice."

He reflected, "In policing, we want justice for victims. When it isnt achieved, the sense of hollowness is profoundbut it pales compared to the grief of the bereaved. Dawns family never got justice."

Daszkiewicz recalled learning that Sturgess was the second victim: "I remember meeting her at public health events and being struck by her dry humor. Her death brought a huge sense of guilt among those involved. Its a feeling Ive had to accept, though its uncomfortable."

Author: Benjamin Carter