Canadian man pleads guilty to selling lethal substances to people who killed themselves

NEWMARKET, Ontario (AP) 鈥� A Canadian man accused of selling lethal products across 40 countries to hundreds of people pleaded guilty Friday to 14 counts of counseling or aiding suicide.

dressed in a dark blazer and white shirt, stood in the prisoner鈥檚 box of a Newmarket, Ontario court to enter his guilty pleas. Under the terms of the agreement, Canadian prosecutors will withdraw 14 murder charges against him. Sentencing is scheduled for September.

In the courtroom gallery, family members of the victims dabbed away tears as a prosecutor detailed the final moments of almost 100 people who died after using the lethal products purchased from Law.

Police in Canada and around the world have been investigating more than 100 suicides linked to Law. The charges against him in the Canadian court are related to 14 people across Ontario who were between the ages of 16 and 36.

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EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE 鈥� This story includes discussion of suicide. The U.S. suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at . In the U.K., the Samaritans can be reached at 116 123 or .

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Canadian police said Law, 60, used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats that can be deadly if ingested.

Law is suspected of sending at least 1,200 packages to more than 40 countries, with about 160 of those allegedly sent to addresses in Canada, police said. He has been in custody since his arrest at his Mississauga, Ontario, home in May 2023.

UK victims will be taken into account at sentencing

Prosecutors in the U.K. decided not to charge Law or apply for his extradition despite . The decision comes in part because British authorities believe he would be able to challenge a U.K. prosecution under 鈥渄ouble jeopardy鈥� laws that prevent a suspect being tried twice for the same crime.

During Friday鈥檚 proceedings, a Canadian prosecutor described the final moments of those who died using Law鈥檚 products, detailing cases from both the 14 victims in Canada and dozens of others in the U.K.

British prosecutors say 79 U.K. victims who died as a direct result of purchasing Law鈥檚 products will be taken into account by the Canadian judge when deciding on a sentence.

The Canadian prosecutor on Friday provided the court with an Agreed Statement of Facts documenting the impact of Law鈥檚 crimes on U.K. victims. This revealed that 73 people died in England and Wales, five in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland as a result of using products he supplied to them. It also documents that Law sent 330 packages to the U.K. via Canada Post.

In the U.K., David Parfett, whose 22-year-old son Thomas Parfett took his own life in 2022 after receiving a package from Law, said the British government is 鈥渇ailing in its duty to protect life.鈥�

鈥淚 had wanted Law to face charges in the U.K. … He really needed to face justice over here,鈥� Parfett told the BBC.

Kim Prosser of Ontario said her 19-year-old son, Ashtyn, began struggling with his mental health during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. He died by suicide in 2023 after using a product purchased from Law.

鈥淗earing his name read in there is tough,鈥� Prosser. said Friday. 鈥淪eeing his name next to the word deceased has always been the most challenging to grasp.鈥�

A 29-year-old Toronto man called 911 himself after ingesting a chemical he鈥檇 bought from Law, pleading for medical help, the court heard.

鈥淗e repeatedly said, 鈥榩lease,鈥� and 鈥業 am going to die soon,鈥� and then began crying,鈥� Prosecutor Cindy Nadler said. By the time paramedics got there, he was unresponsive and struggling to breathe, she said. He later died in a hospital.

Suicide and Canadian law

Authorities in the United States, Italy, Australia and also have conducted investigations. A Canadian prosecutor said 431 packages were sent to the U.S.

Those found guilty of aiding suicide in Canada can face up to 14 years in prison, while first-degree murder carries an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

A New Zealand coroner found that four people who died by suicide there had ordered items online from a business associated with Law, but noted that Law鈥檚 activities are outside the jurisdiction of New Zealand courts.

It is against Canadian law to recommend suicide, although has been legal since 2016 for people 18 and older. Any adult with a serious illness, disease or disability may seek help in dying, but they must ask for assistance from a physician.

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Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.