Canadian accused of selling poison linked to Sunbury-on-Thames death admits assisting suicide in court
UK cases, including the death of a 22-year-old student in Surrey, are being included in sentencing proceedings in Canada after prosecutors confirmed there will be no separate trial in England and Wales
A man accused of running websites selling lethal substances online has pleaded guilty in Canada, with cases linked to the UK, including one in Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, now forming part of the wider proceedings overseas.
Sunbury-on-Thames student Thomas Parfett, 22, died on 28 October 2021 after his father said he had been accessing online forums linked to suicide, and believes he obtained poison through those channels.
Kenneth Law, 60, appeared in court in Ontario, Canada, where he pleaded guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicide, all relating to Canadian victims.
Authorities say he sold around 1,200 packages to people in 40 countries through Canada-based websites. They say 286 people in the UK received products, leading to 112 deaths.
The National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service say 79 UK deaths are being considered as part of the wider case and will be included in Canadian proceedings rather than prosecuted separately in England and Wales. They also said Law sent 330 products to the UK in total.
In a letter to families, the CPS and NCA said: “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.”
NCA senior investigating officer Damon Hayes said including UK victims in Canada “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.”
Specialist CPS prosecutor Andrew Hudson said: “No victim has been left behind as part of this process,” adding that including UK victims will ensure “the full devastating extent of his criminal conduct is seen and considered by the sentence in court.”
Victims’ families have raised concerns. David Parfett, Thomas’s father, said: “I am angry but not surprised.” He added: “For months, we have been told that the system is working and that existing measures are enough. They are not.”
Help is availabe
If you, or someone you know is suffering with their mental health, or experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can speak to your GP. If someone's life is in danger - call 999 immediately.
You can also find help and advice from these services:
Hub of Hope
Samaritans – Call 116123
Mind - 0300 123 3393