Poison seller admits aiding suicides after substances killed hundreds of people including Portsmouth University Student
A man has pleaded guilty to aiding suicides after selling poison to victims across the world
Families of UK victims say “the doors have been shut” after a Canadian man, who pleaded guilty to aiding suicide, will not face criminal proceedings in Britain.
Kenneth Law appeared in court in Ontario, Canada, on May 29 where he entered guilty pleas to 14 counts of aiding suicide, all relating to Canadian victims.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said 79 UK victims died as a direct result of buying Law’s products online.
21-year-old Portsmouth University student, Joshua Warner, was one of the victims who died after purchasing poison from the Canadian. He was found by fellow students in their halls of residence on January 31, 2023.
Aimee Walton, from Southampton, was also found dead on October 14, 2022 in a hotel room by a friend after consuming a toxic substance sold by Law.
On October 13, 2021, 38-year-old Michael Dunham was found dead at a hotel on the Isle of Wight.
On Friday, the court heard how Law was the sole owner of four companies, with one firm’s website offering a “set of instructions” and advertising 40-minute telephone consultations for 150 dollars - the equivalent of £111.
Law would occasionally use an online forum where users discussed ending their lives, where he would post under the pseudonym “Greenberg” to direct people to one of his websites.
Following his arrest, business cards were found at his Mississauga residence during a police search in May 2023, which claimed one of his companies was “a proponent of the Dying with Dignity movement”, the court heard.
The business cards also said: “We would appreciate the disposal of all traces linking to the company, so we may continue our mission without interference. Thank you.”
Authorities informed the victims’ families that Law would not face criminal proceedings in the UK because of the potential for the hotel cook to challenge the extradition due to double jeopardy.
However, the UK deaths will be considered as part of a wider case into his offending, with a letter to bereaved families from the NCA and the CPS saying: “We recognise that this may be painful to hear, and that some victims and bereaved families may have hoped to see a separate prosecution in England and Wales.
“This difficult decision was reached only after detailed consideration of all available options.”
The sister of 21-year-old, Aimee Walton, has said “doors have been shut” for UK families seeking justice.
The senior investigating officer at the NCA, Damon Hayes, told reporters that including British victims in the Canadian case “guarantees all victims and families in the UK will see justice”.
“This will allow the judge to take into account the full extent of Law’s criminal behaviour, including the fact that his actions resulted in the deaths of people in this country.”