NZ deaths linked to Canadian chef charged with selling suicide substances - Coroner

WARNING: This article is about suicide and mental health issues and may be distressing for some readers.

The Coroner will investigate deaths in New Zealand believed to be linked to a Canadian man recently charged with distributing substances to help people commit suicide.

Kenneth Law, 57, has now been charged in connection to 14 deaths across the province of Ontario, the Canadian Press reported.

The charges allege Law sent lethal substances to people at risk of self-harm. He is reported to have been a chef at a five-star hotel in Toronto.

Canadian police said they believe he sent at least 1200 packages to more than 40 countries, the news agency reported.

Now, the Coroners Court says New Zealand is suspected to be among those countries.

“The Coroners Court has confirmed that it has received reports of deaths which are suspected to be linked to the activities of a Canadian man, who has been charged by Canadian police with counselling and aiding suicide,” a coronial spokeswoman said in a statement.

“The usual Coroners Court inquiry process will be followed in relation to the deaths.”

The statement said no further information was available because the matter was before the court.

Meanwhile, the UK’s National Crime Agency has said it is investigating the deaths of 88 people who bought substances from Canadian websites reportedly aimed at suicidal people.

The agency said it had identified 272 people in the UK had bought the substance from Canadian websites.

International media have reported Law is under investigation by police in various other countries including the United States,

The story was uncovered by The Times newspaper in London.

Law reportedly told an undercover reporter that ‘many, many, many, many’ people had died over two years and that he had sent the substance to hundreds of people in dozens of countries.

The father of one victim, David Parfett, told BBC News he was angry authorities had failed to halt the trade in deadly substances and feared there were other suppliers and websites promoting suicide.

His son Tom was 22 when he died after buying a chemical allegedly supplied by Law.

“It’s important for families to understand what has happened and why policing worldwide allowed this scale of deaths despite clear warning signs,” Parfett told BBC News.

Tonia Jones, of Michigan, told the CTV News channel her son Anthony died after ingesting a substance supplied by companies linked to Law.

She said her son came rushing into her room after swallowing the substance in an apparent state of regret.

“He kept saying, ‘I want to live, I want to live,’” she remembered.

He was dead a few hours later.

“No other family should have to go through what we have gone through,” she told the channel.

“It’s devastating. I can’t sleep. It’s like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.”