LONDON (AP) — The lead counsel for a public inquiry into the 2018 death of a British woman poisoned by a Soviet-developed nerve agent said Monday that there was enough poison in the vial she unwittingly opened to kill thousands of people.
Dawn Sturgess and her partner collapsed after they came into contact with a discarded perfume bottle containing the nerve agent Novichok in the southwest England town of Amesbury. She had sprayed the contents of the bottle on her wrist and died days later. Her partner survived.
"The evidence will suggest that this bottle — which we shall hear contained enough poison to kill thousands of people — must earlier have been left somewhere in a public place creating the obvious risk that someone would find it and take it home," lead counsel Andrew O’Connor said.
Their exposure came four months after a former Russian intelligence officer, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter were sickened by Novichok in an attack in the nearby city of Salisbury.
Britain has blamed Russian intelligence, but Moscow has denied any role. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Skripal, a double agent for the United Kingdom during his espionage days, a “scumbag” of no interest to the Kremlin because he was exchanged in a spy swap in 2010.
The Skripals won't testify during the inquiry out of fear for their safety.
But in a witness statement to the inquiry, Skripal said that the attack was a shock because it was "not honorable'' to kill people who had been exchanged.
"I had received a presidential pardon and was a free man with no convictions under Russian law. I never thought the Russian regime would try to murder me in Great Britain," Skripal said in a statement read by O'Connor. "They could have killed me easily if they wanted to when I was in prison.”
He said he believed that Putin “must have at least given permission for the attack.”
"I believe Putin makes all important decisions himself," his statement said.
Attorney Michael Mansfield, who was speaking for Sturgess' family and partner, said the evidence suggested a risk to Skripal was foreseeable. He said central questions for the inquiry are whether he and UK authorities recognized that he posed a threat to the community.
“If the attack could and should have been prevented by the UK authorities, Dawn’s family and partner are entitled to know – so are the wider public; was there a failure to prevent a chemical weapons attack on UK soil?'' he told the inquiry. "Were countless members of the public put at risk, with the potential for hundreds or even thousands of deaths?”
Heather Hallett, the coroner who held the 2018 inquest into Sturgess’ death, said that a public inquiry was needed to conduct a complete look at how the woman died. Unlike inquests, which are routinely held in cases when the cause of death is unknown or if someone dies violently, public inquiries are allowed to consider sensitive intelligence material.
This story has been corrected to show that Sturgess died four months after the attack on the Skripals, not three months.
This photo provide by the Metropolitan Police shows Dawn Sturgess, as a public inquiry into her 2018 death, poisoned by a Soviet-developed nerve agent began on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (Metropolitan Police via AP)
FILE - A police officer guards metal fencing erected on the end of Rollestone Street, the location of the John Baker House for homeless people, in Salisbury, England, Thursday, July 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — England led New Zealand by 533 runs with five second-innings wickets in hand Saturday after another day of extraordinary incidents and milestones, including a hat-trick on the second day of the second test at the Basin Reserve.
At stumps, England was 378-5 in its second innings with Joe Root 73 not out and captain Ben Stokes unbeaten on 35.
Root was among the history-makers Saturday, reaching his 100th score of 50 or more in tests. When he reached his 65th half century, which goes along with his 35 centuries, he became the fourth player after Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to achieve that feat.
When Stokes declares, possibly overnight, New Zealand will have to achieve the highest successful fourth-innings run chase in test history to win the match and level the three-match series. England won the first test by eight wickets in Christchurch.
The record successful fourth innings total currently sits at 418, achieved by the West Indies against Australia at St. John's in the Caribbean 21 years ago.
Under any normal circumstances, Stokes probably would have been happy to declare by now, confident in his bowlers' ability to defend such a mammoth lead.
But the match has progressed so fast and so far with 783 runs being scored and 25 wickets falling on the first two days, that three full days are still available to New Zealand reach its winning target. Most other winning fourth-innings totals in tests have had some element of a time constraint.
The pitch at the Basin Reserve which has been bathed in sunshine on the first two days also is becoming more docile.
Stokes came to the crease 30 minutes before stumps Saturday and immediately hit a four and a six in the first over he faced from Matt Henry, then another six in what seemed a tacit announcement of an impending declaration. By declaring overnight, Stokes will allow the England bowlers to rest and start fresh on the third day.
The England second innings also saw two batters fall in the 90s, Jacob Bethell on 96, just short of his maiden test century, and Ben Duckett on 92. Harry Brook made 55 to go with his 123 in the first innings and his 171 in the first innings of the first test.
All of those innings would which on any normal day of cricket have notable on their own. But they came one after the other and in quick succession so that Gus Atkinson's historic achievement of the morning session seemed somehow distant.
Atkinson became the 15th English bowler and the first since Moeen Ali in 2017 to take a test hat-trick.
The Surrey pacer claimed the last three wickets of New Zealand's first innings, dismissing Nathan Smith, Matt Henry and Tim Southee with consecutive deliveries as England bowled out New Zealand for 125 to take a 155-run first-innings lead.
“It feels good,” Atkinson said. “I've never really thought about getting a hat-trick until I was at the end of my run and I was on a hat-trick. (It) ends the year nicely.”
Atkinson bowled Smith (14) with the third ball of the 35th over of the innings. Smith dangled his bat at a delivery wide of off stump, tried too late to leave the ball but managed only to deflect it onto his stumps.
That brought out Henry, a competent batter with an average of almost 20 in tests, who received a ball which bounced sharply from just short of a length and reached chest high. Henry tried to fend the ball away but it skewed from the splice to Duckett in the gully.
That left Southee to face the hat-trick ball. The veteran seamer in his last test series averages 15.6 and has hit 95 sixes in an illustrious career.
Southee clearly was expecting another short ball, the field was set for it. But the delivery from Atkinson was full and straight, struck the batter on the front pad and clearly was going on to hit middle stump.
Atkinson is a statistical marvel who, in just his 10th test, has taken 12 wickets in an innings (12-106 against the West Indies at Lord's in July ) and scored a century (118 against Sri Lanka at Lord's in August ). He now adds a hat-trick to that already impressive resume.
Atkinson was not privy to Stokes' thoughts about a declaration.
“I'm not really sure what the plans are to be honest,” he said. “We'll see tomorrow, assess what the conditions are and see from there.”
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England captain Ben Stokes, left, and teammate Joe Root walk from the filed at the close of play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Matt Henry reacts as he attempts to field the ball during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Jacob Bethell reacts as he avoids a bouncer while batting during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
England's Ben Duckett reacts after scoring 50 runs during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Glenn Phillips is airborne as he attempts to field the ball during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Jacob Bethell waves to the crowd as he leaves the field after he was dismissed on 96 runs during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England Gus Atkinson bowler celebrates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Brydon Carse, right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Blundell during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England Gus Atkinso, left, bowler celebrates with teammates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Nathan Smith reacts after he is bowled by England's Gus Atkinson during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Nathan Smith is bowled by England's Gus Atkinson during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson is congratulated by teammate Brydon Carse, left, after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson is congratulated by teammate Chris Woakes, left, after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson is congratulated by teammate Brydon Carse, left, after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Gus Atkinson, bottom left, celebrates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP)
England bowler Gus Atkinson celebrates after taking a hat trick during play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Saturday, Dec.7, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
