11-year

'I'm sorry, I drank it': Mother recalls daughter's last words at Kenneth Law's sentencing hearing

Families face convicted poison seller Kenneth Law at sentencing hearing

For two days, a courtroom in Newmarket, Ont., heard more than 70 impact statements from loved ones of victims of poison seller Kenneth Law.

Family members and friends came to court to express their grief in person or provided statements to the Crown to be read out. Others, mostly those from the U.K., provided a video recording.

Court also heard from people who had taken one of Law's products but survived.

The victims remembered in the statements ranged in age, but many were just teenagers or young adults, with the youngest aged 14.

The statements touched on similar themes, including how much families had cherished their loved ones and how their lives had been devastated by their deaths.

Family members who appeared in person often broke down in tears, with some saying their lives were now split between the time before the death of their loved one, and after.

On Thursday, court heard from one mother who described how her 21-year-old daughter lay dying in her arms after ingesting sodium nitrite from a package she received from Law.

"The only words she repeatedly said were, 'I'm sorry, I drank it.' Those words will remain with me for the rest of my life," the mother said.

Another mother said her 11-year-old daughter still texts her deceased father, while another described how the toxicity of her daughter’s body forced emergency officials to wear hazmat suits in order to move her.

Family members also directed words at Law, saying they were unable to comprehend how he could deliver deadly substances to vulnerable people, and describing his actions as "despicable."

Over the two days, Law sat in the prisoner's box, staring ahead, not appearing to show any reaction or emotion to the dozens of victim impact statements that were heard.

Crown and defence are now scheduled to return to court on Nov. 27 for sentencing submissions.

Court has adjourned after two days of sentencing hearings that featured emotionally charged impact statements from family members of Law's victims.

Submissions for sentencing from the Crown and Law’s defence team will be heard Nov. 27.

Keiren Maher said his son, Ben, was a "lovely, kind boy" who volunteered with a mental health organization in the U.K., where he provided advice and solace for other young people who were feeling lonely and needed support.

"Ben was one the purest, kindest young people you'd ever meet in your life," Keiren said in a recorded statement.

Ben even may have saved someone's life, Keiren said. While he was doing an apprenticeship with the National Health Service with the goal of becoming a mental health worker, he encountered a young woman who was experiencing thoughts of suicide and showed signs she was planning to act on them.

Ben called the police, who were able to track down the young woman and bring her to a mental health facility, Keiren said.

"That day, Ben saved someone's life, I believe that for sure," he said.

Since Ben's death by suicide, Keiren said his family has been left feeling "hollow."

The Crown has finished victim impact statements from the families of people whose deaths resulted from consuming products they received from Law.

The remaining statements the court is hearing are from family members of people who received products from Law and have since died, but their deaths are not alleged by the Crown to be a result of consuming those products.

The Crown said they believe they will finish with these statements by the end of the day.

The parents of Ross Gibson say their son was a bright, active 30-year-old man who had his whole life ahead of him.

But the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on him, and he struggled with having to be locked down at home, his father Kenneth wrote in a statement that was read aloud in court.

Still, Ross always seemed upbeat and cheerful, his father said.

"We had no inkling that he would take his own life."

Based on what investigators found at the scene, it was clear Ross tried to change his mind and did not want to die, Kenneth said.

"Our family must live knowing that Ross died a horrible, lonely and agonizing death."

In her own statement, Ross's mother Linda said she has been unable to work or be social since the loss of her son.

"Kenneth Law killed the person I used to be," she said.

"It is impossible to put into words how the grief of losing a child impacts every single aspect of your life."

Linda said her family misses Ross "desperately" and they are certain he would still be alive if it weren't for Law's website.

According to the agreed statement of facts, Gibson was found dead on the bathroom floor of his apartment by his landlord after his boss hadn't heard from him for several days.

WARNING: This post contains distressing details about suicide.

The estranged wife of Mark Bailey said their 11-year-old daughter still texts her father's phone, even though she knows he can't receive them.

In a recorded interview played in court, Lisa Bailey said it gives her daughter comfort that somehow he might see them and that she's able to keep him updated on her life.

"How do you tell your daughter that her dad is dead? He should still be here," she said.

Lisa Bailey repeatedly broke down in tears while reading her statement. She spoke of her relationship with Mark, saying even though they were estranged, she thought he'd always be part of her life.

She said she thought she would always be able to call him and that they would raise their daughter together.

She asked how anyone could provide a product that would end someone's life, referring to Law's behaviour as "beyond despicable."

According to the agreed statement of facts, in May 2023, Mark was visited by police for a wellness check, following disclosure of Law's customer list to law enforcement. Mark and his partner told police she had disposed of the delivered sodium nitrite.

But on Jan. 4 of this year, Mark called emergency services to say he had taken sodium nitrite. He was found dead by paramedics along with a note that said he wished to "take his SN and fade away."

The hearing has resumed in court, and another victim impact statement is underway.

The mother of Ashtyn Prosser-Blake said she felt it's important to be in the courtroom today to show her support for other victim family members.

Kim Prosser delivered her statement in court on Wednesday. But she and a few others who also delivered their statements yesterday returned to court today.

"I feel like it's important to support everyone and have them feel supported in this space," she said just outside the courthouse.

"All of this is part of healing and the journey that we're all experiencing."

She said this has been the first real chance to connect with the other family members.

"It was very like family with family. This was really the first opportunity for people to feel like they had a connection with other people and similar feelings."

Court is now in recess until 2:15 p.m. ET.

The pace of statements today has been much faster so far, as most are being read out by Crown attorneys. There have also been several video statements read by family members in the U.K., which were often recorded with counsellors or police officers present.

The written statements have been no less harrowing, each outlining the profound sorrow and lasting damage felt by family members and their support networks, after the sudden deaths of their loved ones.

While many families have described Law and his actions as evil and sinister, they have also called for wider accountability, noting the years passed before he was arrested and fear that someone else could replicate his actions in the future.

The mother of Imogen Nunn who died at age 25 said if her daughter was alive, she may have asked Law one question: Why?

Louise Nunn, whose statement was read into court, said she would not let the pain, anger and destruction Law had brought into their lives to define her.

However, in a recent interview with the BBC, Nunn said she was angry that Law would not face justice in the U.K.

She also said that part of her victim impact statement had been redacted and that Law should "rot in hell."

Imogen had been in a mental health hospital for five years, and had come out approximately a year before her death. She was profoundly deaf and lived with an assistance dog.

She was reported missing on New Year's Eve 2022, after leaving a party at a friend's house unannounced. Police arrived at her home, where they found her body on the floor of the living room.