A former senior police officer has alleged that a high-ranking government official responded to the death of Salisbury Novichok victim Dawn Sturgess with the remark: 'Thank god it's a drug addict'. Neil Basu, the ex-head of Counter Terrorism Policing, made the claim in an upcoming Channel 4 documentary about the 2018 poisoning plot.
The Alleged Comment
According to Mr Basu, the comment was made during a high-level meeting shortly after Ms Sturgess died. He recalled: 'I remember looking at the DG of MI5 and both of us thought that's the worst thing we've ever heard in our careers. She's a mother, a beloved mother and a beloved daughter and she didn't deserve that and I was utterly disgusted by that.' The former chief described the remark as 'disgraceful' and suggested it reflected a focus on 'optics' rather than the value of a human life.
Reaction from the Family
Dawn's former partner, Charlie Rowley, who also suffered from the poison, expressed his anger at the alleged comment. 'I'm disgusted by it and it makes me very angry. It's totally wrong and it's sick. This person should be named publicly and I want them to apologise,' he said. Michael Mansfield, KC, who represented the Sturgess family, called the remark 'appalling' and 'a shocking exposure for the public who were barely protected in this event'. He noted that the family had been distressed by earlier innuendo about Ms Sturgess being an addict, which was later disproven.
Background to the Poisoning
Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after coming into contact with Novichok that had been left in a perfume bottle discarded by Russian agents who had attacked former double agent Sergei Skripal. The Skripals survived the initial poisoning in March 2018, but Ms Sturgess fell ill three months later and died. Mr Basu described the discovery as a 'devastating moment', escalating the inquiry into a murder investigation of a British citizen by a foreign state.
Criticism of the Authorities
The documentary also reveals that UK authorities were unprepared for the attack. Mr Basu admitted that Mr Skripal was 'on nobody's radar' and that police and security services did not know where he was living. Detective Inspector Ben Mant of Wiltshire Police, who searched the Skripal home, said he still feels 'a responsibility for what happened' after his colleague Sergeant Nick Bailey nearly died from exposure. A public inquiry last year ruled President Putin 'morally responsible' for Ms Sturgess's death but exonerated UK authorities.
