A Canadian man accused of selling lethal substances linked to the deaths of more than 100 British people will not face justice in the UK, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced.
Kenneth Law is expected to appear in court in Ontario, Canada, on Friday accused of aiding suicide after allegedly selling 1,200 packages across 40 countries, including 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.
But despite prosecutors in Ontario bringing Law to court, the NCA and CPS have written to the bereaved families to tell them they would not be seeking to extradite the 60-year-old to the UK after legal proceedings in Canada had concluded.
In the letter sent on Thursday, the CPS and NCA also said Canadian authorities had confirmed that Law is expected to plead guilty to charges of aiding suicide there.
The letter – seen by the Press Association – stated: “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.”
The CPS and NCA also said in the letter it had been established that Law sent 330 products to the UK in total.
A joint statement by Joanne Jakymec, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS, and NCA deputy director Craig Turner said the organisations would be available to support victims and their families.
The statement 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 families of those who died have now called for a public inquiry.
