A Canadian man accused of selling lethal products across 40 countries to hundreds of people who bought them to end their own lives has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of counselling or aiding suicide.
Kenneth Law, dressed in a dark blazer and white shirt, stood in the prisoner’s box of a Newmarket, Ontario court to enter his guilty pleas. Under the terms of the agreement, Canadian prosecutors will withdraw 14 murder charges against him.
Sentencing is scheduled for September.
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In the courtroom gallery, family members of the victims dabbed away tears as a prosecutor detailed the final moments of almost 100 people who died after using the lethal products purchased from Law.
Police in Canada and around the world have been investigating more than 100 suicides linked to Law. The charges against him in the Canadian court are related to 14 people across Ontario who were between the ages of 16 and 36.
Canadian police said Law, 60, used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats that can be deadly if ingested.
Law is suspected of sending at least 1200 packages to more than 40 countries, with about 160 of those allegedly sent to addresses in Canada, police said. He has been in custody since his arrest at his Mississauga, Ontario, home in May 2023.
Prosecutors in the UK decided not to charge Law or apply for his extradition despite investigating him over 112 deaths.
The decision comes in part because British authorities believe he would be able to challenge a UK prosecution under “double jeopardy” laws that prevent a suspect being tried twice for the same crime.
During Friday’s proceedings, a Canadian prosecutor described the final moments of those who died using Law’s products, detailing cases from both the 14 victims in Canada and dozens of others in the UK.
British prosecutors say 79 victims who died as a direct result of purchasing Law’s products will be taken into account by the Canadian judge when deciding on a sentence.
The Canadian prosecutor on Friday provided the court with an Agreed Statement of Facts documenting the impact of Law’s crimes on UK victims. This revealed 73 people died in England and Wales, five in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland as a result of using products he supplied to them.
It also stated Law sent 330 packages to the UK via Canada Post.
Speaking to reporters outside court, Stephen Mitchell, whose son Stephen Jr died by suicide after purchasing lethal products from Law, condemned him as a “vulture” who “took people in their most vulnerable state” and used them for profit.
Authorities in the United States, Italy, Australia and New Zealand also have conducted investigations. A Canadian prosecutor said 431 packages were sent to the US.
Those found guilty of aiding suicide in Canada can face up to 14 years in prison, while first-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.
A New Zealand coroner found four people who died by suicide there had ordered items online from a business associated with Law, but noted that Law’s activities are outside the jurisdiction of NZ courts.
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