A Canadian court has heard that Kenneth Law sold poison to people across the world, including 330 packages sent to the UK
Danielle Cornish, who was 29, died in August 2022(Image: Family handout)
Harrowing details of the deaths of a Canadian poison seller’s UK victims – including one woman from Wales – have been laid bare. Kenneth Law appeared in court in Ontario, Canada, on Friday where he formally entered guilty pleas to 14 counts of aiding suicide.
The 60-year-old sold lethal substances to victims across the world, including 330 packages sent to the UK. The court heard 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 (£111).
The site also showed a “testimonial” from the estate of someone who had taken their own life to prove the “efficacy” of his products. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
One of Law’s victims, Danielle Cornish, 29, who lived in Cardiff, died on August 22, 2022, after she became unconscious during a call to emergency services, in which she admitted taking the product sold by Law.
Following an inquest into her death, Ms Cornish’s family described her as “the most intelligent, ambitious, beautiful, witty, courageous and driven young woman”.
They added: “Danielle gave us 29 years of amazing, fun-filled memories and achieved so much in her short life, but she still had so much to offer the world.”
The inquest heard that mental health services “missed opportunities” in Ms Cornish’s care before she intentionally consumed the toxic substance she had bought online.
During this week’s court appearance in Canada, it was heard that Law would occasionally frequent 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.
The maximum sentence for aiding suicide in Canada is 14 years – the same as for encouraging suicide in the UK.
It is understood that the sentence in this case is likely to be more than 14 years because of the number of victims and the nature of the offences.
A UK police force wrote to Law in April 2022 to inform him his company’s packaging had been found at the scene of someone who had ended their life – with the Canadian replying that he was “surprised and saddened” to learn that “one of our products” was involved in a police investigation.
Useful numbers for dealing with your mental health
There’s help available if you need it:
Mind Cymru infoline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm. To contact them call 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (in the UK and Republic of Ireland this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
C.A.L.L. (Community Advice & Listening Line) offers emotional support and information/literature on mental health and related matters to the people of Wales and can be contacted on 0800 132 737 or through the website.
The NHS offers help and advice through its 111 service.
He told the officer that in light of their note, “we intend to end our sale of this product as soon as our inventory is depleted”.
Business cards were found at Law’s residence following his arrest, which claimed one of his companies was “a proponent of the Dying with Dignity movement”, the court heard.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said 79 UK victims who died as a direct result of purchasing Law’s products would form part of the wider case into his offending.
After his Canadian convictions, British prosecutors described Law as a “serial offender who callously exploited many vulnerable and innocent people exchanging their lives for his financial gain”.
He sold 1,200 packages to 40 countries across the world from Canada-based websites, with 286 people in the UK receiving products, leading to 112 deaths.
Some 330 products were sent to the UK, one to the Isle of Man and 12 to Ireland, the court heard.
Explaining why the UK victims would be taken into the Canadian case, a letter to bereaved families from the NCA and the CPS read: “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 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”.
He added: “This approach is not unusual in cases involving serious offending that crosses international borders.
“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.”
Law was also investigated by police in the US, Italy, Australia and New Zealand. His sentencing hearing will begin at the same court on September 23 and will take place over the course of four days.
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