Cop poisoned in novichok attack suing force chiefs
A POLICEMAN poisoned in the Salisbury novichok attack is suing his ex-bosses.
Det Sgt Nick Bailey was left fighting for his life after being exposed to the nerve agent when entering the home of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in March 2018.
He spent two weeks in intensive care and was medically retired by Wiltshire Police in October last year.
Mr Bailey has now launched a personal injury claim against Ch Con Kier Pritchard – filed under ‘accidents at work’ – in the High Court.
His lawyer Patrick Maguire said: ‘Our client experienced a trauma which had a devastating effect on his family and forced him to leave the job he loved after more than 18 years of loyal service. We hope to come to a resolution very soon, so he and his family can move on with their lives.’
Wiltshire Police has declined to comment on the legal row.
The case comes five months after the ex-detective’s wife, Sarah, tweeted he was still ‘fighting for part of his pension’.
Mr Bailey made three attempts to return to work, but said the attack left him with depression and memory loss, meaning he ‘couldn’t deal with being in a police environment’.
The Skripals survived the attack but Dawn Sturgess, 44, who later came into contact with a discarded perfume bottle believed to have contained the nerve agent, died in July 2018. Her partner, Charlie Rowley, was left ill but recovered. Two Russian agents – known by the aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov – are accused of travelling to the UK and smearing the toxin on the door of the Skripals’ home.
After being captured on CCTV the day before the attack, they claimed they had only been in Salisbury to visit the cathedral and see its spire.
No.10 later concluded they were members of Russia’s intelligence agency but Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in the case.