Inquiry Hears New Details About Poisoning Attempt and Putin's Threat

A Detailed Account

The inquiry into the 2018 Salisbury poisonings has revealed new details about the attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Counter-terrorism chief Cmdr Dominic Murphy testified that a deadly nerve agent, novichok, was applied to the front door of Skripal's home while he and Yulia were inside.

Murphy explained that the Skripals must have been just meters away when the door handle was contaminated. He also revealed that Skripal had told friends that Vladimir Putin would "get him" if he returned to Russia.

The inquiry heard testimony from Ross Cassidy, a friend of the Skripals, who described how he met Sergei after moving in next door in 2010. Cassidy said they became close friends, enjoying barbecues, drinks, and New Year's Eve parties together. However, Skripal confided in Cassidy that he could not return to Russia due to fear of reprisals.

On March 3, 2018, the day before the poisonings, the Cassidys and Sergei Skripal went to pick up Yulia from Heathrow Airport. Maureen Cassidy used the bathroom in the Skripal house, potentially touching the contaminated door handle.

between 6pm on Saturday and 1.30pm on Sunday.

The Skripals were at home all morning on March 4 before leaving for lunch in Salisbury. They fell ill in the city center later that afternoon. Murphy confirmed that both Sergei and Yulia were contaminated because they both touched the door handle as they left the house.

While in Salisbury, Sergei Skripal, already contaminated with novichok, handed a piece of bread to a boy to feed ducks. The boy and his friends experienced brief illness but later recovered and showed no signs of contamination.

Murphy dismissed a theory by Ross Cassidy that the Skripals were followed on their return from Heathrow. He clarified that a BMW spotted by Cassidy was actually a police car on an unrelated assignment.

The inquiry continues to examine the circumstances surrounding the poisonings, including the death of Dawn Sturgess in July 2018 after exposure to novichok from a discarded perfume bottle.