A Canadian man accused of selling sodium nitrite and suicide-related items online to people in multiple countries pleaded guilty on 29 May to aiding the suicides of 14 people in Ontario, after prosecutors said recent legal rulings made murder charges impossible to pursue.
Kenneth Law, 60, entered guilty pleas at the Ontario Superior Court in Newmarket, north of Toronto. Prosecutors said he operated websites selling sodium nitrite (a chemical used in food preservation that can be deadly in high concentrations) along with masks, hoods and regulators.
Court documents stated that Law shipped 1,209 packages to customers in 41 countries between 2021 and 2023, including hundreds to Britain, the United States and Canada.
According to an agreed statement of facts presented in court, 79 people in Britain died after consuming or using products sold by Law. Authorities in several countries have launched investigations and welfare checks connected to purchases from his websites.
Family members of victims became emotional in court as prosecutors described the deaths of young people aged between 16 and 36.
Financial records presented in court showed more than $214,000 flowed into accounts connected to Law’s businesses between 2020 and 2023.
Prosecutors said they would seek to withdraw 14 first-degree murder charges after sentencing, citing a 2024 Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that narrowed how murder causation is interpreted in cases where victims perform the final act leading to death.
Law has remained in custody since his arrest in May 2023. He faces a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison for counselling or aiding suicide under Canadian law.
A renewed wave of U.S. diplomatic activity in the South Caucasus highlights Washington’s growing focus on regional connectivity, trade and security,...
A growing majority of Europeans believe the European Union should pursue a more independent foreign policy and reduce its reliance on the U.S., accord...
India is expected to experience its weakest monsoon in more than a decade in 2026, raising concerns over crop production, food prices and economic gro...
The United States has warned Oman against supporting any effort to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington would penalise any parties ...
Kyrgyzstan has signed a series of cooperation agreements with China and Belarus at the Fifth Forum of Regional Leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organis...
A renewed wave of U.S. diplomatic activity in the South Caucasus highlights Washington’s growing focus on regional connectivity, trade and security, according to Associate Professor George Mchedlishvili of European University in Tbilisi.
India is expected to experience its weakest monsoon in more than a decade in 2026, raising concerns over crop production, food prices and economic growth as the country also grapples with inflationary pressures linked to the Iran conflict.
The United States has warned Oman against supporting any effort to impose tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, saying Washington would penalise any parties involved in facilitating such a system.
Kyrgyzstan has signed a series of cooperation agreements with China and Belarus at the Fifth Forum of Regional Leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, underlining the country's growing economic engagement within the regional bloc.
A group of Azerbaijani civil society organisations has called for increased scrutiny of Swiss building materials giant Holcim, citing court rulings and ongoing investigations linked to its subsidiary Lafarge's activities during the Syrian conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says ongoing conflict, funding pressures and international travel restrictions are complicating efforts to contain a fast-growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Russia and Kazakhstan signed 15 agreements during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Astana on Thursday (28 May), including deals on Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant and expanded oil cooperation with Russia.
The trial of a 21-year-old accused of planning an Islamist attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna entered its final day on Thursday (28 May), with a verdict expected later in the evening.
France will become the first country in the European Union to reimburse anti-obesity drugs through its public healthcare system, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist announced on Thursday (28 May).
The United Nations (UN) added Israel and Russia to a blacklist of parties suspected of committing conflict-related sexual violence on Friday (29 May). The move prompted Israel to announce it would sever ties with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
An Inca child mummy discovered high in the Andes more than a century ago has been returned to an indigenous community in north-western Argentina after spending 119 years in a museum collection.
A growing majority of Europeans believe the European Union should pursue a more independent foreign policy and reduce its reliance on the U.S., according to a new survey published on Friday.
India is expected to experience its weakest monsoon in more than a decade in 2026, raising concerns over crop production, food prices and economic growth as the country also grapples with inflationary pressures linked to the Iran conflict.
Kenyan authorities have arrested eight students on suspicion of arson following a fire at a girls’ boarding school that killed 16, according to the country’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations. The blaze, which happened in Kenya's Rift Valley, also injured dozens of students.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment