Imogen Nunn, 25, was found dead at home after taking a substance bought online from Kenneth Law, whose Canadian guilty pleas have also formally recognised dozens of deaths in the UK

The mother of a 25-year-old woman who died after taking a lethal substance bought online has condemned Kenneth Law, saying the man who supplied it to her daughter should “rot in hell”.

Imogen Nunn, who was deaf and had lived with depression and PTSD, was found dead at her home on January 1, 2023.

She had been reported missing after leaving a New Year’s Eve gathering at a friend’s house without telling anyone.

Her death came weeks after she had obtained the substance from Law, who had been involved in an online suicide forum.

Law has since admitted in Canada to 14 counts of aiding and abetting suicide.

Under an agreement involving Canadian prosecutors, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the National Crime Agency, deaths of British victims have been formally recognised as part of the Canadian proceedings.

The CPS said in May that Law had formally admitted responsibility for the deaths of 73 people in England and Wales. A further five victims were identified in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland. The Canadian proceedings also recorded that Law sent 330 packages to the UK.

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Imogen Nunn, 25, took her own life after buying toxic chemicals online(Image: Family Handout/PA)

Imogen’s mother says families have been let down

Despite the UK victims being recognised in the Canadian case, Imogen’s mother, Louise Nunn, remains angry that Law will not face a separate prosecution in Britain.

She told the BBC: “Our children have been let down.”

Louise was also informed that part of her victim impact statement would be removed before it was presented to the Canadian court.

The section that was redacted described the devastating effect Imogen’s death had on her mother and said she could never forgive Law.

The CPS said the redactions were being made on the advice of Canadian legal counsel to ensure victim impact statements could be admitted in court.

“We recognise the profound impact of Kenneth Law’s offending,” a CPS spokesperson said, adding that prosecutors were working to ensure victims and bereaved families could explain the consequences of his actions during the sentencing process.

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Kenneth Law, 57, sold 1,200 lethal packages across 40 countries(Image: Peel Regional Police/PA Wire)

Why Law will not face a UK prosecution

The decision not to pursue a separate UK prosecution was linked to the difficulties surrounding extradition.

The CPS said there was a significant risk that an extradition request would fail because the evidence concerning products Law sent to Britain had already been incorporated into the Canadian case.

By the time an extradition request could realistically have been made, Law would already have been sentenced in Canada for the same conduct. Prosecutors said this created a real risk that extradition could be refused.

Had that happened, the CPS said, UK victims might not have been formally recognised or seen justice through any criminal process.

Instead, British authorities worked with Canadian prosecutors so evidence relating to Law’s international distribution of lethal products could be used in the Canadian proceedings.

The CPS said the arrangement ensured that the deaths of victims in England and Wales were formally acknowledged and would be reflected in the sentence imposed in Canada.

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Imogen had been reported missing after leaving a New Year’s Eve party unannounced(Image: Family Handout/PA)

Families will be able to address the Canadian court

Under the agreement, bereaved families and survivors in England and Wales can submit victim impact statements for the Canadian sentencing hearing and attend remotely.

The CPS said the Canadian prosecution had been supplied with an agreed statement of facts documenting the impact on British victims.

The organisation described the investigation as unprecedented in scale and complexity, involving police forces across England and Wales and international partners.

For Louise Nunn, however, the Canadian proceedings cannot undo the loss of her daughter.

Imogen was 25 when she died, after years of living with significant mental health difficulties.

Her family is now left with the consequences of a case that has crossed international borders, while the man who supplied the substance will be sentenced in Canada rather than prosecuted separately in the UK.

The Canadian sentencing process is expected to provide families with an opportunity to describe the impact of the deaths, but Louise has made clear that, for her, that recognition cannot replace the justice she believes should have been pursued in Britain.

If you or someone you know is struggling or having thoughts of suicide, Samaritans can be contacted free, 24 hours a day, on 116 123.