A young boy fell ill after encountering Sergei Skripal on the same day he and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok, as revealed during the ongoing Dawn Sturgess Inquiry. The inquiry reviewed CCTV footage showing Mr. Skripal giving bread to the boy for feeding ducks in Salisbury. Following this interaction, the child and two others were located as part of the investigation and reported feeling unwell for a day or two afterward. Despite their reported symptoms, testing showed no traces of the nerve agent on them.
Commander Dominic Murphy, who leads the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, provided insights into the movements of Sergei and Yulia Skripal on March 4, 2018. The footage presented included details of their drive into Salisbury, their stop at The Mill pub for drinks, and their visit to Zizzi restaurant. Mr. Murphy informed the inquiry that this information helped establish a timeline suggesting that the Novichok was likely applied to their front door around 6 PM on that Saturday and again around 1:30 PM on Sunday when they departed.
The inquiry into Ms. Sturgess' death resumed in London after beginning at Salisbury’s Guildhall earlier this month. Ms. Sturgess, who was 44 years old at the time of her death in July 2018, had come into contact with Novichok after spraying herself with a significant quantity of the substance hidden inside a perfume bottle discovered by her partner, Charlie Rowley, in a charity donation bin.
The ongoing investigation is examining potential connections between her death and the earlier assassination attempt against former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March 2018. UK security services have attributed responsibility for this attack to Russia.
As witness testimonies continue to unfold in this critical inquiry, there are broader discussions surrounding safety and security in relation to these incidents. The community remains attentive to developments and seeks clarity on how such events might be prevented in the future while bearing witness to a complex case with significant international implications.
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