Who was Dawn Sturgess?

DAWN Sturgess was poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury died in hospital as her partner continued to fight for his life.

A murder probe into Dawn Sturgess' death was launched eight days after she collapsed in Amesbury. Dawn's murder has now become the focus of a new BBC One drama.

Who was Dawn Sturgess?

The 44-year-old was rushed to hospital on June 30 after falling ill at a home in Amesbury, Wiltshire.

Just hours later, her partner Charlie was also taken to hospital with the same symptoms.

As both remained in a critical condition, scientists from the Government’s nearby defence research centre Porton Down confirmed they had been poisoned with Novichok.

It was announced on July 8 that Dawn had tragically passed away.

Rowley regained consciousness on July 10 and has since been released from hospital.

Cops are probing a theory the poison was in a perfume bottle discarded by the Russian would-be assassins.

Him and daughter Yulia both recovered after being found slumped on a park bench in Salisbury on March 4.

Why must Dawn's family wait months before they can bury her?

Safety measures are in place to protect mourners at Dawn's funeral on July 30 2018.

She was cremated in Salisbury, close to where Sergei Skripal's wife and son were laid to rest.

Reverend Philip Bromiley said the funeral directors have been working with Public Health England (PHE) and the crematorium to put measures in place to make sure everything is as safe as possible.

What have her family said about her drug addiction?

A family friend said mum Caroline Sturgess had claimed her daughter was not being given the same care as the Skripals because she is a "nobody alcoholic".

They added: "She feels that Dawn is not getting the same quality of treatment as the Skripals because of her background and the fact she's an alcoholic. She's seen as a nobody, really."

The friend explained how Dawn switched from a popular pupil at Durrington school in Wiltshire to a homeless alcoholic due to post-natal depression when her son Aidan was born.

The pal said: "Her personality changed. She became like a zombie.

"She didn't care about anything and just let everything go.

"She started smoking weed and over the course of time she turned to harder drugs."

Dawn was living in a homeless hostel 300 yards from the Zizzi restaurant where MI6 mole Sergei and daughter Yulia ate before they collapsed.

Initially it was assumed the pair had fallen victim to a bad batch of heroin currently circulating in Wiltshire.

After it was confirmed as Novichok, CCTV was released of Dawn buying alcohol from her local cornershop just hours before she fell ill on June 30.

Where is the case now?

The conclusion of the case is uncertain.

Scotland Yard officers are still investigating the attack, after charging Chepiga and Mishkin with conspiracy to murder and novichok possession in September.

Sajid Javid has said that as Russia will not extradite the suspects, and they can only be detained if they enter a nation that complies with European Arrest Warrants and Interpol red notices, catching them is unlikely.

“If they ever step out of the Russian Federation, Britain and its allies will get them and we will bring them to prosecution,” the former Chancellor of the exchequer vowed.

When is The Salisbury Poisonings on TV?

The three-part drama will be stripped across three consecutive nights on 14, 15 and 16 June on BBC One at 9pm.

Each episode will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer after they aired.

The drama was previously announced by BBC Two in back May 2019, and began filming at the end of October 2019.