A Salisbury poisoned victim intends to file a lawsuit against Russia for his partner’s passing and the destruction of his property.
Five years have passed since Charlie Rowley and his partner Dawn Sturgess became gravely ill as a result of exposure to Novichok, a deadly nerve toxin of military grade created by the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Now, Mr. Rowley has disclosed to The Sun that he is considering suing the Russian government for Ms. Sturgess‘ subsequent death and the destruction of his home as a result of the poisoning.
The substance was concealed in a perfume bottle and found in a charity shop before being gifted to Ms Sturgess by Mr Rowley.
It is thought to have been left behind by Kremlin agents Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin four months prior to the couple falling ill.
The UK government believes Mr Chepiga and Mr Mishkin used the nerve agent in a state-sanctioned assassination attempt against former Russian intelligence official Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.
Ms Sturgess died just over a week after being exposed to the substance, while Mr Rowley suffered multiple strokes and nerve damage.
It took more than a year for the affected sites in Salisbury to be completely cleared of the highly toxic chemical.
During this time, Mr Rowley’s home was torn down and more than 450 of his belongings destroyed.
Among them was his phone, which contained ‘all my photos and memories’ of Ms Sturgess, his partner of 18 months, Mr Rowley said.
He added: ‘I still stay in touch with Dawn’s family. That’s very important to me. I loved her deeply.’
His statements come following the news that a public hearing into Ms Sturgess’s death will be pushed back until next year, with intelligence concerns cited.
For Mr Rowley, it has been a difficult wait.
He said: ‘I’d like to find a way of bringing them to account. I feel they probably had a huge pay-off as they did something and are reaping the rewards for it, yet they’ve left a trail of destruction behind them.’