Vincent McAviney: UK/Europe Correspondent on the inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge · Dec 4, 2025 · 2m · transcript

The family of a British woman who was killed by a nerve agent smuggled into the UK have spoken out following an inquiry into her death.

44-year-old Dawn Sturgess died in 2018, after spraying herself Novichok from a fake perfume bottle discarded in Salisbury by Russian agents.

The inquiry states Russian President Vladimir Putin must have ordered the use of it to assassinate former spy Sergei Skripal.

Sturgess' mother Caroline says a narrative's been created online, that's been distressing for family.

She says she wasn't a known drug user as had been reported, she was a very loved, mother…