Poisoning by Drugs, Medicaments and Biological Substances Codexery

2018 Amesbury poisonings

Two poisoned by Novichok; one died, one survived.

The nerve agent that poisoned them was identified by police as Novichok, the same type used in the Skripal attack almost four months earlier.[1][2] Sturgess passed away on 8 July, and Rowley woke up on 10 July.[1][3]

Quick Facts

Date of incident
30 June 2018
Location
Amesbury, Wiltshire, England
Victims
Charlie Rowley and Dawn Sturgess
Date of death
8 July 2018 (Sturgess)
Date rowley regained consciousness
10 July 2018
Nerve agent
Novichok nerve agent (same kind as used in Skripal poisoning)
Inquiry conclusion date
4 December 2025

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

On 2 July, hospital staff sent samples to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down for analysis.[4][5] The Metropolitan Police announced on 13 July that a small bottle found at Rowley's house was the source.[6] Rowley was discharged from hospital on 20 July but was re-admitted with sight problems in August.[7] The independent inquiry began on 14 October 2024 and released its outcome on 4 December 2025.[8][9]

The initial medical assessment suggested that the illness might have resulted from using contaminated street drugs.[4][5] Doctors discontinued life support for Sturgess, and she died on 8 July.[3][10] According to Rowley's account to his brother, the nerve agent was inside a small perfume bottle that the couple had discovered in a park.[3][11]

What the cited sources add

The BBC News report of 4 July 2018 stated the couple fell ill on Saturday and remained in a critical condition.[2] The same report noted that paramedics were called first at 11:00 BST after Sturgess collapsed, then later the same day after Rowley fell ill.[2] The OPCW received a request from the UK on 13 July for technical assistance and deployed a team to independently determine the nature of the substance.[12] The OPCW team completed its initial work and returned from the UK on 18 July 2018.[12]

The Independent reported on 7 August 2018 that OPCW experts would return to collect further samples, including environmental samples from Rowley's home.[10] The Guardian reported in June 2020 that the flat where the poisonings occurred would be demolished, with support from Sturgess's family and Rowley.[13]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Two collapse near spy poisoning site", BBC News, 4 July 2018; "Amesbury pair poisoned by Novichok", BBC News; "Amesbury substance: Paramedics wore hazmat suits", Sky News (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Wiltshire pair poisoned by Novichok nerve agent", BBC News, 4 July 2018. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
  3. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "UPDATE: Woman dies following exposure to nerve agent in Amesbury", Metropolitan Police; "Novichok victim's sister recalls 'goodbye'", BBC News, 19 July 2018; Morris, "Man poisoned by novichok regains consciousness", the Guardian, 10 July 2018; Morris, "Amesbury novichok victim 'reveals doctors feared he would die'", the Guardian, 11 July 2018; Morris, "Amesbury novichok victim 'reveals doctors feared he would die'", the Guardian, 11 July 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Amesbury pair poisoned by Novichok", BBC News; "Wiltshire pair poisoned by Novichok nerve agent", BBC News, 4 July 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. "Amesbury pair poisoned by Novichok", BBC News. facts only, no text reused. bbc.co.uk
  6. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "UPDATE: Source of nerve agent contamination identified", Metropolitan Police, 13 July 2018; Dodd, "Novichok that killed woman came from bottle, police believe", The Guardian, 13 July 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bullen, "Novichok victim Charlie Rowley discharged from Salisbury hospital three weeks after poisoning", The Telegraph, 20 July 2018; Morris, "Novichok victim back in hospital with sight problems, says brother", The Guardian, 20 August 2018; "Novichok victim Charlie Rowley 'feeling positive' and 'hoping to get out of hospital in next two or three weeks'", 4 September 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dawn Sturgess Inquiry", www.dawnsturgess.independent-inquiry.uk; "Inquiry into Novichok poisoning of Dawn Sturgess to start", BBC News, 13 October 2024; Morris, "Salisbury poisoning: woman 'foamed at the mouth' after spraying novichok on wrists, inquiry told", The Guardian, 16 October 2024; "The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry – Inquiry into 2018 Salisbury poisonings", www.dawnsturgess.independent-inquiry.uk; "Putin 'morally responsible' for 'unsurvivable' Novichok poisoning of Dawn Sturgess, inquiry finds", BBC News, 2025-12-04 (origin en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Putin 'morally responsible' for 'unsurvivable' Novichok poisoning of Dawn Sturgess, inquiry finds", BBC News, 2025-12-04; Stavrou, "Salisbury Novichok latest: Putin ‘morally responsible’ for spy poisoning death of Dawn Sturgess, says inquiry", The Independent, 2025-12-04; "Salisbury novichok poisonings: Putin 'morally responsible' for woman's death after authorising botched spy assassination bid", Sky News (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  10. "Chemical weapons inspectors returning to UK to gather new novichok samples", Independent.co.uk, 7 August 2018. facts only, no text reused. independent.co.uk
  11. Wikipedia, "2018 Amesbury poisonings" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Amesbury: Novichok found in perfume bottle, says victim's brother", BBC News, 15 July 2018 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. "OPCW Provides Technical Assistance for Amesbury, UK Incident", Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, 18 July 2018. facts only, no text reused. opcw.org
  13. Morris, "Wiltshire flat where novichok victim fell ill to be demolished", The Guardian, 9 June 2020. facts only, no text reused. theguardian.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article 2018 Amesbury poisonings (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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