<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3s3d5n_0wPLkF9y00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3s3d5n_0wPLkF9y00" width="1571" height="884" ><figcaption>Sergei Skripal was one of three people who survived coming into contact with the Novichok nerve agent [Credit: BBC] </figcaption></figure> Sergei Skripal told a friend that President Vladimir Putin would "get him" if he returned to Russia, an inquiry heard. Ross Cassidy also told the inquiry in London on Monday that Mr Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer, said he could not return to Russia or there would be "reprisals". The inquiry is examining how Dawn Sturgess, 44, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0hvvqqr?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> died after she was exposed to the chemical weapon Novichok </a> in Amesbury, Wiltshire, in July 2018. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Mr Cassidy said Mr Skripal "did say he knew Russian leader Putin personally and said Putin would get him". In March 2018 Mr Skripal, his daughter Yulia and then-police officer Nick Bailey were poisoned in Salisbury after being exposed to Novichok. They all survived. Months later, Ms Sturgess' boyfriend, Charlie Rowley, unwittingly gave her the bottle containing the nerve agent, which led to her death. Mr Cassidy told the hearing, how he and Mr Skripal quickly became "good friends" after he moved in next door with his family in 2010. The pair used to discuss Mr Skripal's time in the military. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2krSmJ_0wPLkF9y00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2krSmJ_0wPLkF9y00" width="1921" height="1080" ><figcaption>Dawn Sturgess died after being inadvertently exposed to Novichok [Credit: BBC] </figcaption></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Mr Cassidy said: "Sergey did say he could not go back to Russia or there would be 'reprisals', he would not go into much details about what this was all about, but did say he knew Russian leader Putin personally and said Putin would 'get him'. "They were all from separate occasions but, yes, he did talk about reprisals. "But I remember it specifically when he said about Putin will get him." Mr Cassidy explained how Mr Skripal talked about this to his friends at a gathering. <figure><audio controls="true" id="p0jww0wy" style="width:100%;"><source src="https://open.live.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/6/redir/version/2.0/proto/https/mediaset/ws-clip-syndication-audio/vpid/p0jww0wy.mp3" type="audio/mpeg"></audio><figcaption>How was an innocent British mum killed by a Russian chemical weapon? </figcaption> The British Broadcasting Corporation </figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> He said that, prior to giving evidence at the inquiry, he checked with those friends, asking them "he did say that, didn't he?" and they confirmed it. Mr Cassidy told the inquiry that he and his wife later googled Mr Skripal and discovered his spying activities. The inquiry, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Lord Hughes of Ombersley, opened at the Guildhall in Salisbury earlier this month but started hearing evidence in London on Monday. <figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=47XqQR_0wPLkF9y00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=47XqQR_0wPLkF9y00" width="1920" height="229" ><figcaption>[Credit: BBC] </figcaption></figure><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p0jwnpg8?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> BBC Sounds: Salisbury Poisonings </a> Keep up to date with the latest from the inquiry with our podcast. Listen to the episode on <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0jwyn0d?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> BBC Sounds </a> . Follow BBC Wiltshire on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BBCRadioWiltshire" rel="nofollow"> Facebook </a> , <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWiltshire" rel="nofollow"> X </a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bbcwiltshire/" rel="nofollow"> Instagram </a> . Send your story ideas to us on email or via <a href="https://bbc.in/47DEoQy" rel="nofollow"> WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630 </a> . <h2> More on this story </h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c170g21jwqgo?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> Chief thought Skripal poisoning could be 'act of war' </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c4gxz5egx0zt?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> Dawn Sturgess inquiry restarts after move to London </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c39l8vklp44o?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bnewsbreak.com%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D" rel="nofollow"> 'Salisbury poisoning at forefront of our minds' </a></li></ul><nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate></div></body>

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Skripal told friends Putin would 'get him'

Sergei Skripal said he could not return to Russia or there would be \"reprisals\".

Sergei Skripal said he could not return to Russia or there would be "reprisals".

Skripal told friends Putin would 'get him'

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