SN seller Kenneth Law pleads guilty

[Sakura.]

'Poison seller' Kenneth Law who sold toxic chemicals online admits aiding suicides

Kenneth Law admitted charges relating to Canadian victims - but families say he should also be charged in the UK over 79 deaths in Britain.

www.bbc.com

"A man has pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicides in Canada after he sold toxic chemicals online.

Kenneth Law, 60, entered the guilty pleas in an Ontario court on Friday, as part of a deal with prosecutors, who withdrew more serious murder charges.

Authorities said the former chef also sold about 1,200 packages of the toxic substances to recipients - who he met in online suicide forums - in 40 countries, roughly a quarter of which were sent to the UK.

The charges all relate to Canadian victims - but families of British victims have said they were angry UK prosecutors would not charge Law over the deaths of 79 Britons, which authorities say are linked to products he supplied.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had agreed to the Canadian plea bargain on the basis Law's sentence take the British deaths into account.
A letter from the CPS, seen by the BBC, said Law would not face charges in the UK because he could challenge the extradition after being convicted of similar offences in Canada.

Specialist CPS prosecutor Andrew Hudson said that including UK victims in the Canadian sentencing process was the "quickest and most effective route" to justice.

Hudson said 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".

Ontario man Ashtyn Prosser-Blake, 19, was one of Law's victims 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-Blake's mental health declined after the Covid pandemic - he went to college for a year in Toronto before dropping out and moving home, where he "just continued to struggle" before dying by suicide, his mother said.

"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 UK, David Parfett's 22 year-old son, Thomas, used the substance said to have been sold to him 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."

Tom paid the equivalent of £50 ($67; C$92) for the substance. His body was found in a hotel in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, in 2021.

Parfett said that while it was good Law had "admitted guilt", he said it was still "a moment of unbelievable frustration".

"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 on Friday.

Parfett is calling on the UK government to hold a public inquiry into the deaths, as he wanted authorities to "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."
The BBC has approached the Home Office for comment.

Law was arrested in May 2023, following a complex investigation by at least 11 law-enforcement agencies and involved investigators from around a dozen countries, including the UK, Italy and the US.

His arrest came a week after a Times investigation alleged he was selling poison to young people, after a journalist posed as a customer and spoke to Law directly.

Law reportedly counselled the journalist on how to use his products to "best ensure death".

Canadian detectives told the BBC in 2023 that Law ran multiple websites offering equipment and substances to help people end their lives.

Those found guilty of aiding suicide under Canada's criminal code can face up to 14 years in prison."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/livestory/kenneth-law-hearing-plea-9.7211269

 

[thefirstluminary]

Grim it was bound to happen at some point


I like how they didn't mention what substance it was lol

 

[Sakura.]

Grim it was bound to happen at some point
View attachment 202199

I like how they didn't mention what substance it was lol

People who don't understand mental suffering... don't seem to understand.

 

[thefirstluminary]

People who don't understand mental suffering... don't seem to understand.

I guess... maybe I never really understood mental suffering or people, for that matter. Everyone is so complicated. Humans are just fascinating and weird.

Still, at least there will be no more Sn and no more deaths! Yay!

 

[Celerity]

If he knowingly supplied minors with SN, he really deserves what he gets and arguably worse. It doesn't sound like was doing this out of the goodness of his heart either. That said, I continually detest the framing of adults who commit suicide as "victims". "Died by suicide" likewise erases our essential agency.

Most of us get here after years of suffering, not isolated moments of crisis, and are of sound enough mind to make this decision for ourselves - as regrettable or foolish as suicide may in fact be. We don't call drug addicts or alcoholics "victims" as they slowly kill themselves either. One can be a victim of abuse and be victimized by life circumstances or oppressive systems as well, as many of us are, but does that mean every self-destructive choice we make is that of a victim?

I get that they wish to soften the language down from "committed suicide" because "committed" implies a criminal or immoral action, but that doesn't excuse dishonesty. The infantilization of the suicidal adult continues.

 

[StillLife]

I remember being disturbed by the fact that he was pretty muched betrayed by some people on here. The audacity to show their faces so shamelessly via interviews made me really mad.

We really can't have nice things and he's a stark reminder why people shouldn't get mad about not blatantly being spoonfed. People can switch-up on a dime, even here, don't forget it.

 

[thefirstluminary]

betrayed by some people on here.

Betrayed is a strong word, lmao. What he was doing wasn't right. It wasn't ethical, and it definitely wasn't legal

 

[Throwawaysoul]

This wasn't a smart man, he's not a martyr. His stupidity put everybody that ordered from him in jeopardy. Literally every step of the way, this idiot used his real name and address on everything. He was just brazenly profiting from suffering. But he was smart enough to use a fake account here shilling his goods… I'm sure Google would gave him better advice if he typed in "how to be a SN dealer" Or "how do I sell suicide drugs?"

 

[bb142342]

Yes, that may be the law, but it is simply crazy.

It is solely because various countries do everything in their power to prevent people from carrying out their intentions—specifically their wish to die—by blocking and banning everything necessary to do so.
Indeed, if a person merely helps someone obtain a substance—such as "N"—from their family doctor after the latter has expressed their wish to die, that person faces imprisonment for having assisted a terminally ill individual in acquiring the means to end their life.

Why should it be considered murder when someone in another country—who harbors the desire to die—then proceeds to ingest such a substance themselves?

Why do surviving relatives refuse to accept that this was the deceased person's wish—and that they were merely seeking a substance that would make the process "more peaceful"?

Will manufacturers of accessories used for "harsher methods" soon have to face trial as well? Simply because the accessories they sold were repurposed for unintended ends?

 

[Aflame5926]

you can't say he is good. if pro lifers want to end this forum and destroy future suppliers then they need to legalise shit.

and be realistic on what can be done. i really starting to think that closed facilities are worser then prisons.
in prison you are just stuck. closed facilities is getting stuck and drugged untill you say the answers that they want to hear.

there is almost no dialogue even possible.

and so long there isnt a really good and realistic path i hope there will always be suppliers.

 

[Ashu]

Uncomprehending, interfering normtards, fuck off.

 

[UserFromNowhere]

If he knowingly supplied minors with SN, he really deserves what he gets and arguably worse. It doesn't sound like was doing this out of the goodness of his heart either. That said, I continually detest the framing of adults who commit suicide as "victims". "Died by suicide" likewise erases our essential agency.

Most of us get here after years of suffering, not isolated moments of crisis, and are of sound enough mind to make this decision for ourselves - as regrettable or foolish as suicide may in fact be. We don't call drug addicts or alcoholics "victims" as they slowly kill themselves either. One can be a victim of abuse and be victimized by life circumstances or oppressive systems as well, as many of us are, but does that mean every self-destructive choice we make is that of a victim?

I get that they wish to soften the language down from "committed suicide" because "committed" implies a criminal or immoral action, but that doesn't excuse dishonesty. The infantilization of the suicidal adult continues.

Yeah, I think the framing is my biggest issue with the article. I don't mind the arrest of Kenneth Law because what he was doing was unethical, but the article openly discusses a method of suicide and publishes names of people who died through consumption of the substance, both of which violate the principles of journalistic reporting on suicide (which is par for the course for BBC at this point, but still).

I understand the parents may have felt pain over the death of their loved ones. Even if I disagree with the pro-life stance of "suicide is bad and is never acceptable," it is true that people will feel hurt as a result of it, and they may want to share their story to alleviate the tragedy or seek vengeance against the seller and wish to see them in handcuffs. But that's no reason to publicize it to such an extent. "Popularizing" and "glamorizing" people who took their life is generally looked on unfavorably in terms of reporting on suicide and that's really all this article serves to do.

 

[fadedghost]

This wasn't a smart man, he's not a martyr. His stupidity put everybody that ordered from him in jeopardy. Literally every step of the way, this idiot used his real name and address on everything. He was just brazenly profiting from suffering. But he was smart enough to use a fake account here shilling his goods… I'm sure Google would gave him better advice if he typed in "how to be a SN dealer" Or "how do I sell suicide drugs?"

i disagree. i think he is a smart man and a martyr.

 

[LetMeOut67]

‘It was too easy’: families ask how Kenneth Law enabled so many suicides

Bereaved relatives say they were ignored by authorities as they searched for answers over suicide forums and kits

www.theguardian.com

 

[maneose]

was just about to post this tiktok i saw about him on here lol

 

[interna]

i can't decide whether he's stupid or smart

 

[Forever Sleep]

Yes, that may be the law, but it is simply crazy.

It is solely because various countries do everything in their power to prevent people from carrying out their intentions—specifically their wish to die—by blocking and banning everything necessary to do so.
Indeed, if a person merely helps someone obtain a substance—such as "N"—from their family doctor after the latter has expressed their wish to die, that person faces imprisonment for having assisted a terminally ill individual in acquiring the means to end their life.

Why should it be considered murder when someone in another country—who harbors the desire to die—then proceeds to ingest such a substance themselves?

Why do surviving relatives refuse to accept that this was the deceased person's wish—and that they were merely seeking a substance that would make the process "more peaceful"?

Will manufacturers of accessories used for "harsher methods" soon have to face trial as well? Simply because the accessories they sold were repurposed for unintended ends?

I agree- in most cases- it was assisting a suicide- which is what they have gone with now. I also feel that assisting a suicide should be legalised and regulated. Then, there would be less of a grey area regarding whether a person is mentally competent to decide. That shouldn't be down to a shop owner to decide!

I think the murder charge is reasonable when a minor dies though. If a 50 year old man has sex with a minor- it is (rightly) prosecuted as rape- because a child is considered too young to consent. Surely- the same rules should apply to selling them lethal tools or substances? You wouldn't sell a chainsaw or cyanide to a 14 year old- surely?

I don't think they could prosecute the shop assistant of a hardware store for selling someone rope- if they then went on to hang themselves. However- if they walked in the store, told the assistant they intended to suicide and asked them to show them how to tie a noose- they would likely be in a lot more trouble!

That I think- is what people mean when they call Kenneth Law's actions wreckless- he was caught tutoring people on how to suicide with his products. He also only started checking people's ages nearing the end of his time selling. I'm not sure he was exactly stupid. I think he just got away with it for long enough that he maybe thought he was untouchable.

Truthfully, I am a hypocrite because- I did also buy from him. And to be fair- I was grateful to be able to do so. I do think the whole thing sits in a very grey moral and legal area though. While I was grateful to buy- there's no way I could sell suicide aids. How can you really know who you're selling to? Even if you take some precautions and check the person's age- there are still other variables going on. Their mental state for one.

Plus, these sellers do obviously know why (likely the vast majority of) people are buying their products. Those using it for genuine purposes I would think have the business credentials to buy it from big suppliers- and for much cheaper.

There is the more palatable side to it- that they are helping those in unbearable suffering to escape. But then- they are taking a risk too. That some of those people may also be minors. Some may have curable problems. It shouldn't be down to them to be able to decide or gatekeep. But then- by not doing so- they run the risk of selling to (possibly) less appropriate customers.

I suppose it comes down to where a person stands though. Some more promortalist members here would literally support nembutal vending machines I suspect. I think the majority are somewhere more in the middle though. Lots of members do worry about minors killing themselves for one.

 

[byec560]

Lmao at the parents in the articles. "I don't get it. My boy was so happy but he was TAKEN from me by Kenneth Law " Bro, your child was clearly not happy and instead of taking responsibility you've chosen to blame one mediocre poison dealer for their death. Literally look at this kid's face man. But ofc it's always gotta be a boogieman's fault. People will really look anywhere but the mirror. Jesus Christ.

 

[thefirstluminary]

Lmao at the parents in the articles. "I don't get it. My boy was so happy but he was TAKEN from me by Kenneth Law " Bro, your child was clearly not happy and instead of taking responsibility you've chosen to blame one mediocre poison dealer for their death. Literally look at this kid's face man. But ofc it's always gotta be a boogieman's fault. People will really look anywhere but the mirror. Jesus Christ.View attachment 202229

It is actually disgusting that you're telling grieving parents to take responsibility for their child's suicide. Depression is an illness, not a parenting failure, they aren't psychic they can't tell what their child is going through most of time

 

[Surek]

This whole situation (and what people are writing here) reminds me of the trolley problem