A death at an Oxford Premier Inn has been named among 79 victims in a poison case.
Yeanu Mistry, a 22-year-old Wolverhampton-born single man, has been named in a Canadian Court as one of those who died as a result of purchasing products from Kenneth Law.
Mr Mistry was found dead by staff at a Premier Inn in Milton, Oxfordshire, on May 21, 2022, and was named by the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
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Law appeared in court in Ontario, Canada, on Friday, May 29, where he formally entered guilty pleas to 14 counts of aiding suicide, all relating to Canadian victims.
The 60-year-old sold lethal substances to victims across the world, including 330 packages sent to the UK.
The court heard Law was the sole owner of four companies, with one firm’s website offering a “set of instructions” and advertising 40-minute telephone consultations for 150 dollars (£111).
The site also showed a “testimonial” from the estate of someone who had killed themself to prove the “efficacy” of his products.
The maximum sentence for aiding suicide in Canada is 14 years – the same as for encouraging suicide in the UK.
It is understood that the sentence in this case is likely to be more than 14 years because of the number of victims and the nature of the offences.
The NCA and the CPS said all 79 UK victims who died as a direct result of purchasing Law’s products would form part of the wider case into his offending.
Before this, authorities informed the victims’ families that Law would not face criminal proceedings in the UK because of the potential for the hotel cook to challenge the extradition after being convicted of similar offences in Canada.
After his Canadian convictions, British prosecutors described Law as a “serial offender who callously exploited many vulnerable and innocent people exchanging their lives for his financial gain”.
He sold 1,200 packages to 40 countries across the world from Canada-based websites, with 286 people in the UK receiving products, leading to 112 deaths.
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The senior investigating officer at the NCA, Damon Hayes, told reporters that including British victims in the Canadian case “guarantees all victims and families in the UK will see justice”.
He added: “This approach is not unusual in cases involving serious offending that crosses international borders.
“This will allow the judge to take into account the full extent of Law’s criminal behaviour, including the fact that his actions resulted in the deaths of people in this country.”
Victims’ families criticised the move, with one bereaved father saying: “I am angry but not surprised.”
The Samaritans offer a 24/7 helpline, which can be reached for free from any phone on 116 123.
They can also be contacted via email at jo@samaritans.org or through the Samaritans website.
