The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Nerve agent victim hailed as ‘gentle soul’
AMESBURY: Family pay tribute to Dawn Sturgess, who died after being poisoned
The family of Dawn Sturgess, who died after being exposed to the nerve agent Novichok, have paid tribute to the mother of three and hailed her as “a gentle soul who was generous to a fault”.
Ms Sturgess, 44, and her partner, Charlie Rowley, 45, both fell ill in Amesbury, Wiltshire, on June 30 after it is believed they handled a vessel containing the deadly substance.
Yesterday, her family released a statement through police.
It read: “Dawn’s death has been devastating for us.
“Dawn will always be remembered by us as a gentle soul who was generous to a fault.
“She would do anything for anybody and those who knew Dawn would know that she would gladly give her last penny to somebody in need.
“She had the biggest of hearts and she will be dreadfully missed by both her immediate and wider family.”
Mr Rowley remains critically ill in hospital and Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies has warned everyone in the area not to pick up “any foreign object which could contain liquid or gel, in the interests of their own safety”.
A huge counter-terrorism police investigation is taking place into how the couple were exposed to the chemical weapon.
The main line of inquiry is whether or not it is linked to the attempted murders of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in nearby Salisbury in March.