Man linked to 112 UK deaths expected to plead guilty but won't face justice in Britain

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.

A Canadian man accused of supplying deadly chemicals believed to be involved in the deaths of more than 100 Brits will not face legal consequences in the UK.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that despite the nature of Kenneth Law's alleged offending having worldwide ramifications, he will not be extradited.

Instead, the 60-year-old is set to face the consequences of allegedly aiding the suicides of more than a hundred people across the globe in his home country of Canada.

Law is set to appear in court in Newmarket, Ontario, on Friday (29 May) where he will enter a plea to the 14 counts of counselling or aiding suicide he is facing.

According to his lawyer, Matthew Gourlay, he is set to plead guilty to all of these, while prosecutors will withdraw murder charges he was also facing in exchange.

The 14 charges are related to the deaths of people from Ontario. Officials said the victims ages ranged from 16 to 36. In Canada, a person found guilty of aiding suicide can face up to 14 years in prison.

The 60-year-old was arrested in Canada in May 2023 (Peel Regional Police)

Law has been accused of sending 1,200 lethal packages to recipients in 40 different countries.

Authorities in the US, Italy, Australia and New Zealand also launched probes into Law, as well as officials in the UK.

An investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) into Canada-based websites selling substances to assist with suicide found that 286 individuals received packages in the UK, leading to 112 deaths.

Prosecutors in Ontario have been pursuing the charges against Law since his arrest in May 2023. However, he will not face justice in the UK, the CPS and NCA have now said.

The organisations penned a letter to the families of Law's alleged victims explaining they do not plan on extraditing the former chef when his trial in Canada concludes.

Law is expected to plead guilty when he appears in court on Friday (PA)

In the correspondence seen by the Press Association, the bereaved loved ones were told: "After careful assessment, we agreed that Mr Law should be sentenced for the full extent of his offending within a single sentencing process in Canada. This approach is not unusual in cases involving serious offending that crosses international borders.

"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."

Investigations found that Law had sent 330 products to the UK in total, the CPS and NCA said.

In a joint statement, Joanne Jakymec - the chief crown prosecutor for the CPS - and NCA deputy director Craig Turner said: "No outcome in any court can remove the pain victims and their families have suffered. Victims have remained our priority when making decisions to deliver justice.

"The National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service have worked closely with the 45 UK police forces, as well as international law enforcement, throughout the three-year investigation.

"The UK is the only country globally with an investigation detailed enough to be included in the Canadian prosecution."

The former chef won't be extradited to the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service said (Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)

Many families have now called for a public inquiry to be conducted into Law's alleged crimes, with one victim's relative saying they were 'angry but not surprised' by the news.

David Parfett, the dad of 22-year-old philosophy student Thomas who took his own life in Surrey, said: "For months, we have been told that the system is working and that existing measures are enough. They are not. If our own country will not put anyone on trial for these deaths, the very least it can do is hold a proper inquiry into how they were allowed to happen."

The chief executive of suicide prevention charity Molly Rose Foundation, Andy Burrows, said the decision not to extradite Law will come as a 'bitter blow' to his victims families.

"Families up and down the country have been impacted by Law’s crimes and should have the right to full justice in the UK," he said. "As long as the pro-suicide forum remains online, and while this substance is available in the UK and across borders, more vulnerable people are at risk."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.