'Poison seller' who sold toxic chemicals worldwide pleads guilty to aiding suicides
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'Poison seller' who sold toxic chemicals worldwide pleads guilty to aiding suicides")
For representative purpose only Photograph: (Unsplash)
Kenneth Law pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide after selling toxic substances linked to deaths in Canada, the UK, and beyond
A Canadian man accused of supplying toxic chemicals used in multiple suicides around the world has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide. Kenneth Law, 60, entered guilty pleas in an Ontario court on Friday as part of an agreement with prosecutors, who dropped more serious murder charges against him. Authorities allege that the former chef sold approximately 1,200 packages of toxic substances to people he encountered through online suicide forums across 40 countries. Roughly one-quarter of those shipments were sent to the United Kingdom.
The charges against Law relate solely to Canadian victims. However, families of British victims have expressed frustration that UK prosecutors will not pursue separate charges against him over the deaths of 79 Britons allegedly linked to the substances he supplied. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it agreed to the Canadian plea arrangement on the condition that the British deaths be considered during sentencing.
According to a CPS letter obtained by the BBC, Law will not face prosecution in the UK because he could challenge extradition after being convicted of comparable offences in Canada. Specialist CPS prosecutor Andrew Hudson said incorporating UK victims into the Canadian sentencing process represented the quickest and most effective route to justice. Hudson explained that a successful extradition was far from guaranteed and would have taken years to conclude, while any UK prosecution could have been blocked under double jeopardy principles.
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Families reflect on their loss
One of the Canadian victims was 19-year-old Ashtyn Prosser-Blake, who died by suicide in March 2023. "He was just such a super happy, really gentle soul, always looking to stand up for the underdog, the kids that got picked on," his mother, Kim Prosser, told the BBC. Prosser said her son's mental health deteriorated after the COVID-19 pandemic. After attending college in Toronto for a year, he returned home but continued to struggle.
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"The pain of losing my son Ashtyn doesn't ease because someone sits behind bars," she said. “There is no solace in my healing journey to see someone else suffer.” In the United Kingdom, David Parfett's son Thomas, 22, is among those whose deaths have been linked to substances allegedly supplied by Law. "Tom was somebody who really saw the joy in life. He would find humour in the weirdest places. I often think about his laugh," Parfett said.
“Tom was a massive football fan, and he was a good footballer as well. I miss the opportunity to enjoy the 2026 World Cup with him.” Thomas reportedly paid the equivalent of £50 for the substance before his body was discovered in a hotel in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, in 2021. While welcoming Law’s guilty plea, Parfett said he remained disappointed that a UK trial would not take place. "I would have preferred Kenneth Law to be tried here [in the UK]. I would have wanted to have seen him in court answering charges related to my son's death," he told the BBC.
Parfett is now calling for a public inquiry into the deaths linked to Law’s products. He said authorities must understand this issue and stop other people, unfortunately suffering the loss of a family member due to a very preventable suicide. The toll here is astonishing, multiple deaths, including of children, and yet we don't see any coordinated attempt to really understand it.
International investigation
Law was arrested in May 2023 following a major international investigation involving at least 11 law enforcement agencies and authorities from around a dozen countries, including the UK, the United States, and Italy. His arrest came shortly after a newspaper investigation alleged he was selling poisonous substances to vulnerable young people. An undercover journalist reportedly communicated directly with Law while posing as a customer.
According to reports, Law advised the journalist on how to use the substances to best ensure death. Canadian investigators previously told the BBC that Law operated multiple websites selling products and equipment intended to help people end their lives. Under Canadian law, individuals convicted of aiding suicide can face prison sentences of up to 14 years.
