Apology from Police Officer in Dawn Sturgess Case

A police officer has issued an apology for mischaracterizing Dawn Sturgess, a victim of the Novichok nerve agent, as a “well-known drug addict.” Temporary Supt Kerry Lawes of Wiltshire Police testified during an inquiry into Ms. Sturgess’s death, stating that “there was no intelligence” to support her comments.

Background on the Incident

Dawn Sturgess died on July 8, 2018, after exposure to the deadly nerve agent, which was found in a discarded perfume bottle. This incident followed a previous poisoning involving former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, who were poisoned months earlier. Both survived, along with then-police officer Nick Bailey. Ms. Sturgess’s boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, who unknowingly provided her with the contaminated bottle, also survived.

During the inquiry, it was revealed that paramedics suspected Mr. Rowley of nerve agent poisoning; however, police initially disagreed with this assessment. It was noted that Mr. Rowley had been recognized by Wiltshire Police as a drug user.

Public Apologies from Law Enforcement

Chief Constable Catherine Roper had previously apologized for labeling Ms. Sturgess as a “known drug user,” but this was the first public apology from Ms. Lawes. In an email sent to the coroner on July 1—before Ms. Sturgess’s death—Ms. Lawes claimed that police had received a report suggesting nerve agent poisoning but believed it was related to a drug overdose.

In her email, Ms. Lawes described the ambulance and fire brigade’s response as having “panicked somewhat,” referring to Ms. Sturgess and Mr. Rowley as “two well-known drug addicts.” She later expressed regret over this comment.

“This was an unprofessional comment to make and I would like to take the opportunity to apologize for it,” she stated.

In her written testimony during the inquiry, Ms. Lawes acknowledged that she now knows there is “no intelligence” supporting the assertion that Ms. Sturgess was involved in illegal drug use or addiction.

Investigation Insights

Detective Sergeant Eirin Martin, who took over the case from Ms. Lawes on July 2, noted that police initially hypothesized that both Ms. Sturgess and Mr. Rowley had consumed drugs contaminated with pesticides, leading to an overdose. Based on this hypothesis, she requested Wiltshire Police’s media team release a warning about a potentially harmful batch of drugs.

“At the point I made the press release in relation to the contaminated drugs that was, at that point, the primary hypothesis,” she explained.

The inquiry is ongoing as authorities continue to investigate this tragic incident.