BRAMPTON, Ont. – An Ontario man accused of selling a lethal substance to people at risk of self-harm has had his bail hearing put over until next week.
Peel Regional Police arrested 57-year-old Kenneth Law on Tuesday and charged him with two counts of counselling or aiding suicide after investigating two recent deaths in the area.
They allege the Mississauga, Ont., man used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats but which can be deadly.
Law appeared briefly in a Brampton, Ont., court today, where his case was put over to next week.
Peel Region police say their investigation has found that at least 1,200 packages – they have not detailed what was in them – were allegedly sent to 40 countries.
A coroner’s report from the United Kingdom appears to point to at least one death by suicide in the U.K. that’s linked to a postal box in Mississauga, Ont and a company name police have linked to Law.
Ontario Provincial Police issued a public safety warning today about packages containing sodium nitrite being mailed out across the province that may have been sent to people at risk of self-harm – at least one of those companies lists a Kenneth Law as the site founder.
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If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24/7 by calling Talk Suicide Canada (1-833-456-4566) or, for residents of Quebec, 1 866 APPELLE (1-866-277-3553).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 3, 2023.
