Unveiling Kenneth Law: The Poison Seller Linked to 99 UK Deaths

Assisting suicide is a serious crime under UK law, yet a disturbing pro-suicide forum continues to thrive online, accessible to British citizens. This platform, where users openly promote and even celebrate the deaths of others, has raised urgent questions about accountability in the digital age. At the heart of this grim saga is Kenneth Law, a Canadian accused of exploiting such platforms to target vulnerable individuals, allegedly supplying deadly poison linked to 99 deaths in the UK alone. His apparent disregard for the consequences of his actions, coupled with a perceived lack of international legal cooperation, has sparked outrage.

A new Channel 4 documentary, Poisoned: Killer in the Post, airing on 8 and 9 July at 9 pm, delves into this chilling case. The programme follows The Times investigative journalist James Beal as he uncovers the operations of Law, dubbed the ‘poison chef’. Law, a Toronto-based Canadian national, is accused of distributing over 1,200 packages of a lethal substance worldwide. In an exclusive interview earlier this year, online safety activist and author Adele Walton shared the heartbreaking story of her sister Aimee, believed to be among the 99 UK victims who received poison from Law. “The pain of losing Aimee is compounded by the knowledge that this could have been prevented,” Walton said, highlighting the devastating impact of Law’s actions.

Before his descent into infamy, Law worked at the Fairmount Royal York Hotel in Toronto, a prestigious establishment once frequented by Queen Elizabeth during her visits to the city. According to Toronto Life, Law spotted a sinister opportunity in the summer of 2020 to market a legal chemical for illegal purposes. Operating multiple websites, which we will not name to avoid amplifying their reach, he sold packets of poison for as little as $59 plus shipping. Law even offered 40-minute consultation calls to prospective buyers, a service Beal explores in the documentary.

In a particularly unsettling moment from Poisoned: Killer in the Post, Law appears to mock the lack of accountability he faces. “The UK government has no jurisdiction over the Canadian government. They’re not going to bring me over to the UK for this. It’s too small,” he tells Beal with a laugh. This brazen attitude underscores the challenges of tackling cross-border crime in the digital era, where jurisdictional boundaries often shield perpetrators.

Law was arrested by Canadian authorities in May 2022 and faces trial in January 2026 on 14 counts each of first-degree murder and aiding suicide, as reported by CBC. Yet, the existence of pro-suicide forums and the ease with which the Law operated for years raise serious questions about the UK’s ability to protect its citizens from such threats. The current Labour government’s response to this crisis has been notably muted, leaving many to wonder whether enough is being done to address the proliferation of dangerous online platforms.

The case of Kenneth Law exposes a troubling gap in international law enforcement and online regulation. As families like Adele Walton’s grieve, the need for robust action to shut down such platforms and hold perpetrators accountable has never been clearer.